


The Return of Glory

by MaudMoon (Idle_Wanderings)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/F, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-04-27 06:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 78,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5037589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idle_Wanderings/pseuds/MaudMoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phoenix Wright's sixth year at Hogwarts signals the reappearance of an estranged friend, as well as a dangerous tradition. It's only inevitable that he gets mixed up in it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I know there are a few wonderful Harry Potter AUs out there already, but also--you can't have too much Harry Potter AUs, right?  
> Takes place after the main events of Harry Potter and in the year 2010 of the current canon timeline. As for the rest of the ace attorney timeline, I messed around with everyone else's age so much. Sorry.  
> While Harry Potter characters will show up, I tried not to make this too much of a crossover.

It was, frankly, a mystery how Phoenix managed to stay unaware of this year's exchange students for so long. Gossip in Hogwarts was never known to be slow—and yet it took Phoenix until fourth period of his first day back at school before he heard the news. Nearly everyone else had known by _at least_ second period.

To be fair, it was mostly Phoenix's fault for turning his phone off. Larry had texted him the moment he found out. And then several times afterwards.

Phoenix was made aware of this the moment he turned his phone on and was greeted with the sound of twenty incoming texts.

That in itself wasn't unusual. Larry had a habit of texting him excessively, even though Phoenix had told him a thousand times that he turned his phone off during class. But that didn't stop Larry from texting him pointless questions and observations whenever he felt like it. At least someone had figured out a charm to override a limited data plan, so it wasn't costing Phoenix anything.

Phoenix was expecting the usual flood of nonsense that Larry sent him when he turned on his phone during free period, so it took him a few minutes to figure out that something serious had actually happened.

_Larry: Nickkk, I'm so booorreed._

_Larry: why aren't you in my Divination class again??_

_Larry: TURN ON YOUR PHONE NICK_

_Larry: it's cruel to leave me alone like this Nick :(((_

_Larry: PHOENIX!!!!_

_Larry: OMG NICK!!! You'll never guess what I just heard!!!_

_Larry: YOULL NEVER GUESS_

_Larry: C'mon man ur supposed to guess._

_Larry: THERES A BUNCH OF EXCHANGE STUDENTS COMING THIS YEAR_

_Larry: I JUST!!! SAW ONE OF THEIR CHARIOTS FLY IN_

_Larry: THEY HAVE FLYING CHARIOTS HOLY SHIT NICK!!_

_Larry: Ema just texted me—she says a ship just popped out of the lake!!_

_Larry: THIS IS SO COOL HOLY SHIT_

_Larry: do you think there'll be any cute exchange girls?_

_Larry: I think the students are from beauxbaton and durmstrang._

_Larry: CUTE FOREIGN GIRLS this year is going to be amazing_

_Larry: NIIICKKKKK_

It took several moments before Larry's ramblings made sense to Phoenix. Then it all connected—exchange students, Beauxbaton, Durmstrang—Phoenix was somehow still able to type his response despite the sudden burst of nervousness that hit him.

_Phoenix: Wait, what? Why are we getting exchange students?_

Phoenix took a moment to think how he would phrase his next question. He knew what he wanted to ask, but it was a little…well, embarrassing, to ask it directly. There was a chance that Larry would make fun of him, as he occasionally did whenever the topic was brought up.

He would keep it vague, he decided. Larry would understand what he was really asking. Probably.

_Phoenix: Have you seen any of them? The students?_

Of course, now that Phoenix had replied, Larry wasn’t answering him.

Phoenix glanced around the Study Hall to see if there were any of his friends around who could fill him in on what was happening. There were a few acquaintances he recognized, but no one he really felt like talking to. Besides, there was no guarantee that they knew what was going on. It wasn’t worth risking an unnecessary conversation, especially when his nerves were in a jumble.

Of all the things that Phoenix had been expecting to happen at the beginning of his sixth year, the possibility of his long-lost childhood friend randomly showing up at Hogwarts was not one of them.

And that’s all it was really, a possibility. It wasn’t even likely that Miles was among the exchange students from Durmstrang. Yes, Phoenix knew for a fact that Miles went to Durmstrang. But that didn’t mean that he was now at Hogwarts.

Still, Phoenix couldn’t shake the paranoia that he would see Miles walking through the hallway any minute now. Just a few years ago that was something Phoenix would have given anything to see.

Now? Well, now all Phoenix could focus on was how unprepared he felt.

Larry really needed to answer him back.

Phoenix spent his last two classes of the day fidgeting and glancing down at his phone, until Professor Vasquez in Charms threatened to turn his cell into sludge.

When class ended, Phoenix had to exercise great self-restraint to stop himself from checking his phone until he was out in the hallway. Thankfully, Larry had finally texted him back.

_Larry: Dude!! Did you know they’re still doing the Triwizard Tournament??_

_Larry: And nah, no one’s gotten a glimpse of them yet. I think they’re waiting till dinner for the introductions??_

None of this calmed Phoenix down. The Triwizard Tournament? Hadn’t that been outlawed ages ago? Twice? Magical History wasn’t his best subject, but Phoenix was pretty sure that was a thing that had happened.

Sometimes Phoenix was bitter about the fact that he couldn’t Google these things. The internet was incredibly useful for stuff within the Muggle realm, but the moment things got magical you had to open up a dusty old textbook to figure anything out. And Phoenix had never been good with reading.

_Mia would probably know,_ Phoenix thought, as he tapped the barrel sequence needed to get into the Hufflepuff common room. He resolved to ask her about it at dinner—Mia had only recently gotten her cell phone, and she still hadn’t gotten the hang of texting. 

Larry waved Phoenix over as soon as he was within sight. He was sitting on one of the plush yellow chairs, Maya gossiping besides him.

“Hey Nick!” Maya cheered when she saw him. “How were your classes?”

“Hi Maya.” Phoenix replied. “They were alright. I got in a little trouble with Professor Vasquez though.”

“Not too bad for your first day then!” Maya snickered.

“Yeah, yeah.” Phoenix sighed, taking a seat next to his two friends. “I assume you’ve also heard about the exchange students?”

“Of course!” Maya said. She turned back to Larry. “Isn’t it so exciting? I was still back in Kurain the last time they had the tournament!”

“At least someone’s hyped about it!” Larry pouted. “Nick here barely reacted when I told him.”

“Aww, Nick, where’s your sense of fun?” Maya asked.

Phoenix decided to ignore their teasing. Denying anything would only make it worse in the end, especially when those two teamed up. Instead, he latched onto something that Maya had previously said. “Wait, last time? So they really are still doing the Tournaments?” Phoenix asked.

Maya nodded. “Yeah! The last one was five years ago, over at Beauxbaton.” Maya paused for a moment, then tilted her head in confusion. “Didn’t you know about it? It was during your first year.”

“Hey now…” Larry protested. “It’s not like they were hosting it over in Hogwarts. And we were too young to be exchange students.” Larry sniffed loudly. “It’s easy to forget stuff when you can’t be a part of it.”

“Yeah.” Phoenix agreed weakly. Privately, he thought that it had more to do with the fact that Larry barely ever listened to the school announcements. And on Phoenix’s end? Well, he’d been preoccupied with other things during his first year…

“But now they’re holding it over at Hogwarts!” Maya said, still as excited as ever. “I think this is the first time we’ve hosted the tournament since that thing happened.”

“What thing?” Larry asked.

“You know!” Maya said. “The thing…Like, didn’t a kid die or something?” She made a few absent-minded gestures with her hands. “Something bad happened, I think.” Maya shrugged.

“Yeah, wasn’t there something important that happened?” Larry put a hand on his chin thoughtfully. “What’s-his-name got killed or whatever?”

“I can’t believe you two.” Phoenix deadpanned. “You’re both terrible.”

“What? What’d I do?” Larry pouted.

“Lay off Nick!” Maya stuck out her tongue. “It’s not like you remember his name.”

“Yeah, actually, I do.” Phoenix said. Now, Phoenix wasn’t a great magical history scholar by any means. But he thought this was one bit of history his friends should remember. “Cedric Diggory! He’s from our house!”

“Wow, Nick. How’d you know that?” Larry looked amazed. Maya just looked shocked.

Phoenix had to resist the urge to sigh loudly. “You guys.” He said instead, “There’s literally a mural of him in this room.” Phoenix pointed to said mural, a small bronze memorial plate just visible above the Common Room fireplace.

There was a moment of silence.

“Who even reads those things?” Larry asked, quickly recovering. Maya nodded in agreement.

This time Phoenix didn’t bother holding back his sigh.

“Whatever, Nick.” Maya said. “You’re the one who didn’t even know they’d restarted the tournament.”

Admittedly, Maya did have a point there.

“I don’t even get why they restarted them.” Phoenix said. “Isn’t it supposed to be super dangerous?”

“That’s part of the fun!” Larry smiled. Then he suddenly deflated. “But why couldn’t they wait until next year? I’m not seventeen yet…”

“Larry.” Phoenix said, “Please tell me you weren’t seriously considering entering.”

“Of course I was!” Larry replied. “Eternal glory? Who wouldn’t want that? And imagine all the girls you could get…” He sighed dreamily.

“So you’re not gonna enter, Nick?” Maya asked.

“What?” Phoenix frowned. “Of course not!” In truth, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of entering. Now that Maya had brought it up though, he saw little point in trying. It wasn’t as if he’d ever get picked anyway.

“Aww.” Maya sighed, though she didn’t look that disappointed.

But Larry perked up a bit. “Wait, so then why were you asking about the exchange students? I thought you were trying to scope out the possible competition or something…”

“Why would I do that Larry? I didn’t even know the tournaments were happening.” Phoenix sighed.

“Nick was asking about the exchange students?” Maya asked.

“Yeah!” Larry said, “That was one of the first things he asked me, if anyone had seen them—“ Larry suddenly interrupted himself. “Wait, Nick! You don’t think that Edgey…?”

“I don’t know.” Phoenix replied. “But it’s possible.”

“Woah! That’d be so awesome.” Larry yelled. “We haven’t heard from him in ages!”

“Wait, who’s Edgey?” Maya asked.

“Miles Edgeworth.” Phoenix couldn’t help but correct her. Hearing Larry mangle the name was cringe-worthy enough. Heh. Edgeworth—cringe- _worthy_. Phoenix smirked at his mental pun.

“Yeah, Edgey!” Larry continued. “That’s right, Maya…that was a few years before you got here. Edgey was me and Nick’s third amigo.”

“Amigo…really, Larry?” Phoenix raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, we were the three amigos!” Larry repeated himself without faltering. “But then he transferred over to Durmstrang after our first year.” Larry shrugged. “We haven’t seen him since then.”

 _Not in person, at least_ Phoenix mentally amended. But that wasn’t a topic he felt like getting into right now, especially with how curious Maya could be.

It didn’t feel entirely right, either, to count those blurry newspaper photos as seeing Miles. Those cold eyes didn’t resemble the stuffy but earnest boy that Phoenix remembered, anyways.

_“You’ll promise to write me, right?” Phoenix was having a hard time looking Miles in the eyes, so he looked down at his scuffed-up shoes instead. Phoenix had made Larry promise to write too, before he had left, but Phoenix felt more nervous asking Miles, somehow._

_The train station was quieter than it had been twenty minutes ago, but there was still the muffled noise of the other students preparing to leave._

_“I promise.” Miles said, his voice small and sure._

_“You know, Phoenix,” Phoenix glanced up at the use of his name (he was finally starting to get used to it, thankfully) to see Professor Edgeworth, Miles’ father, talking to him, “You could come visit us during the summer, if you’d like.”_

_“Really, father?” Miles’ eyes were wide with surprise as he looked up at Professor Edgeworth._

_Professor Edgeworth chuckled. “I don’t see why not.” He looked back at Phoenix. “We’d both be happy to have you. You could even bring over that other boy with you…Butz was it?”_

_“Larry Butz.” Miles frowned. “And just Phoenix is fine.”_

_For some reason, this made Professor Edgeworth laugh. “Now, Miles, don’t be rude. Isn’t he your friend too?”_

_Miles only sniffed haughtily in answer, making his father chuckle again. Then Miles turned to Phoenix. “Do you think they’ll let you come visit me?” His tone was hopeful in a way that made Phoenix’s chest tighten happily._

_“I’ll ask them.” Phoenix said determinedly. “I don’t see why they won’t let me go—especially if Professor Edgeworth will be there!” He added._

_Phoenix didn’t know what type of people ran the new children's home he was being moved to, but he was positive that they would be better than the last one he was at. Headmistress McGonagall had found it for him, after all. There would be other wizards and witches there too! And Headmistress McGonagall had promised that these people wouldn’t force him to act like a girl—so it was automatically better than the place he had lived at before coming to Hogwarts._

_Professor Edgeworth smiled at him gently. “I’ll try and see if I can’t personally set something up for you two.”_

_“Thank you!” Phoenix said. He still felt a little nervous talking to Professor Edgeworth. The man had never been anything but nice to him, but he was still a teacher._

_“Then we’ll definitely see each other this summer.” Miles said. “Father will make sure of it.”_

_“You’ll still write though?” Phoenix asked._

_“Of course!” Miles huffed._

_There was a quiet pause, one interrupted by Professor Edgeworth picking up his and Miles’ bags. “I’ll just take our luggage on board while you two say goodbye. Remember Miles, our train leaves in about ten minutes.”_

_Miles nodded as his father walked away. Then the two of them sat in awkward silence again. Miles twisted his hands together while Phoenix kicked at some of the dirt on the ground._

_“Well, I guess—” Phoenix started to say, before he was interrupted by Miles giving him a hug. Miles’ was somehow able to move both quickly and rigidly, as if he was hugging a log instead of a fellow twelve-year old._

_Phoenix was quick to hug him back, which caused Miles to relax slightly, though his grip was still stiff._

_“I’m glad that I met you.” Miles quietly whispered. Phoenix squeezed his arms tighter at the words._

_“I’m happy I met you too.” Phoenix said, leaning slightly into Miles’ cheek. They stayed like that, huddled together, for a few more moments before Miles broke the hug._

_He bit his lip and nodded firmly, saying “Goodbye,” before running after his father._

_When Phoenix yelled, “See you later!”, he earned a quick smile and a wave._

__That would be the last time Phoenix saw him._ _

“Didn’t you get letters from him in second year?” Larry’s question broke Phoenix out of the memory.

“A letter.” Phoenix replied curtly. A letter which, he didn’t want to explain, could basically be summed up as ‘please don’t write to me anymore’.

Maya, at least, seemed to realize that this was a bad topic. “What do you think they’ll have at the banquet today?” She asked instead.

Thankfully that led to a slew of different conversations, which held them over until it was time to gather in the banquet hall for dinner. Technically, it would’ve been better for them to get started on their homework—but it was the first day of school, and who wanted to work on the first day?

Apparently Mia, who was already buried deep inside a textbook at her dinner table. She glanced up when Maya ran over to her side, but was back to focusing on the book by the time Larry and Phoenix sat down.

“Already, Mia?” Larry asked, incredulous.

Mia didn’t even look up when she answered. “Yes, already. I refuse to get anything less than ‘Outstanding’ on my N.E.W.Ts.”

“She’s been like this all summer.” Maya sighed. “She even dragged Nick into it near the end!”

“Hey, I’m not the one reading during dinner.” Phoenix murmured awkwardly. It was true that he had done a lot of studying during the summer with Mia. He felt a little guilty, wondering if Mia was so focused on working because she had spent so much time tutoring him. Though it hadn’t been as hectic as last year, when Phoenix had been getting ready for his O.W.Ls. Between all of the studying, polishing his Japanese, and helping the Feys out around the village, that had been one busy summer.

It had paid off though. Phoenix had to admit that. He passed all of his O.W.Ls, and had even managed to get two ‘Outstanding’s and an ‘Exceeds Expectations’ in Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, respectively. Mia had pointed out that he needed to work harder on his Potions and Charms, but at least Phoenix had another two years to improve on that before he took his N.E.W.Ts.

Mia only had till the end of this school year before she had to take her N.E.W.Ts, and they would need to be good if she wanted to get into the Ministry right after graduating. Which Mia, in true Slytherin fashion, was ready to do anything to achieve.

So Phoenix understood why she had been so stressed during the summer. At least Maya had been able to help him pull her out it occasionally—and getting dragged into Mia’s study sessions wasn’t that bad. It had been Phoenix’s second summer over at Kurain with Mia and Maya’s family, and he wasn’t planning on spending his next summer anywhere else, if he could help it.

“You know Maya,” Mia looked up with a smirk, “it’s only a year until it’s your turn to take the O.W.Ls.”

“Don’t remind me,” Maya groaned. “Mom’s already on my case about it.” Maya grabbed a bread roll and shoved it into her mouth, making it harder to hear her next comment clearly. “How’m I supposed to figure out what I wanna do already?”

The teasing smirk on Mia’s face softened. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Then she turned back to her book. “And I’ll talk to mom if she gets too overbearing.”

“Thanks.” Maya muttered softly through her half-eaten bread.

“Hey you guys!” Ema chirped as she slid into the seat next to Maya. Maya brightened immediately, almost choking in her haste to swallow the rest of her food.

“I haven’t seen you in ages!” Maya yelled, hugging Ema quickly before jumping into a debriefing of her summer. Phoenix barely got a second to say his own greetings to the other girl, but that was alright. Ema was the only other person in their makeshift group who was the same age as Maya. He knew that Maya was a relatively popular girl, but she had a tendency to spend most of her time with Mia and Phoenix’s friends, who were almost all older than her. Ema was a good exception to that rule.

As usual, Ema’s appearance was followed by her older sister’s. Lana smoothly took the remaining spot next to Mia, as if that seat was her birthright.

“Looks like we have the whole House set now.” She said. Technically, she wasn’t wrong. The addition of herself, a Gryffindor, and her sister, a Ravenclaw, meant that their table now had all four houses represented.

Phoenix knew, theoretically, that this sort of out-of-House mixing was still relatively new. But he had been making friends outside of his House since his first year, as had most of the people he’d gone to school with. Hardly anyone sat with just their respective House anymore.

Before the rest of them could catch up with each other, Headmistresses McGonagall called the school to attention.

“Welcome, everyone, to another year at Hogwarts.” McGonagall announced, “As I’m sure you’ve heard, this year we’ll be hosting the Triwizard Tournament.” At this, there was a loud cheer throughout the hall. McGonagall patiently waited for it to die down before speaking again. “I’m pleased to introduce the students of Beauxbaton and Durmstrang, who will be joining us this year.”

This statement was immediately followed by the dramatic entrance of both schools. From the left side of the hall entered the Beauxbaton students, led by an elderly woman. Their entry left behind elegant (and presumably enchanted) forget-me-nots in their wake. Phoenix only paid a moment’s attention to them, as his focus was quickly stolen by the Durmstrang entourage.

A small fireworks show announced their arrival, bright sparks quickly forming into the shape of dragons that traveled amongst the Hogwarts crowd. Phoenix could hear his friends gasp in awe as an electrical green Norwegian Ridgeback danced near their table. But Phoenix was caught by something else: namely, the young man walking behind the Durmstrang Headmaster. There was no denying it. It was Miles Edgeworth walking across the banquet hall—the same cold-cut figure that Phoenix had glimpsed in the Daily Prophet just a few years ago.

Edgeworth had grown visually older since then, his cheekbones more pronounced than they had been in the newspaper’s photo. There was none of that awkward excitement that Phoenix had always been able to see in his old schoolmate friend, but it was clearly Miles all the same.

Phoenix couldn’t tear his eyes away. He waited for Edgeworth to make eye contact, but that moment never came. Edgeworth kept his gaze fixed on the back of the Durmstrang Headmaster, never wavering away for a moment, not until all of the Durmstrang exchange students took their seats at an empty table on the far right of the hall, their Headmaster joining McGonagall and the Beauxbaton leader at the Head Table.

“Let’s all give a warm welcome to both the Headmistress of Beauxbaton, Professor Oldbag, and the Headmaster of Durmstrang, Professor von Karma.” McGonagall waved to the new additions at her table. Both of the outer-school leaders bowed at their introduction, and took their respective seats. Professor von Karma in particular sat down with an exaggerated flourish.

What came next was the basic explanation of how the tournament worked: it was meant to be join all three schools together, those over seventeen entered their name in the Goblet of Fire, the winner gained a cash prize and eternal glory, blah blah blah. To be entirely honest, Phoenix wasn’t listening very carefully. Even the appearance of the famous Goblet couldn’t hold his attention for very long.

He couldn’t stop looking back at Edgeworth—who, for the first time in five years, was in the same room as him. For a second he thought he had caught Edgeworth glancing back at him, but he blinked and Edgeworth was back to staring at the head banquet table.

What was Phoenix going to say? Miles was finally back in Hogwarts, finally within reach, and Phoenix had no idea what he was supposed to do next. He’d daydreamed about this exact scenario countless times, sure, but being faced with the reality was somehow entirely different. What the hell was he supposed to do?

God, would Edgeworth even recognize him anymore?

These were the sort of thoughts that filled up Phoenix’s mind, making it hard to pay especially good attention to the school’s announcements. That is, until the moment Professor von Karma stood up and addressed the school. The man had a commanding presence that even Phoenix found impossible to ignore.

“I speak for all of Durmstrang when I thank Professor McGonagall for hosting myself and my students.” Von Karma spoke, his throaty voice echoing throughout the hall. “And, may I say, I will personally ensure that only the best Durmstrang has to offer will rise up to the challenge of this tournament.” At this, von Karma nodded and sat down.

As if being signaled, Edgeworth sat up from his seat. Phoenix watched as he walked towards the Goblet of Fire and threw a folded paper, which presumably held his name, inside. The blue flames swallowed it up quickly and, without a word, Miles sat back down at his table.

“Holy shit,” Larry whispered to him, “it’s Edgey! And he just put his name into the Goblet!”

Phoenix didn’t reply. He couldn’t tear his eyes from Edgeworth. There had been no visible emotion on his face when he put his name into the fire, no hesitation or even any excitement. At least, not from what Phoenix could tell.

There was a moment’s pause and then—it was as if Edgeworth had set up a chain reaction—quickly other of-age students from all three schools were standing up to run and place their names in the fire.

“This is disgusting.” Mia muttered. Phoenix turned from watching Edgeworth’s unmoving face to see Mia scowling into her hand.

“I can’t believe Professor McGonagall agreed to revive this blasted tournament.” Mia spoke again.

“I’m fairly sure she was pressured into it.” Lana sighed, though her face betrayed that her sentiments were close to Mia’s own. “I can’t understand why else she’d agree to this.”

“Isn’t this the third tournament since it’s been revived?” Ema questioned, sounding more curious than offended at her sister's comments.

“That is true.” Lana conceded. “But the tournament is no less dangerous today as it was five years ago, or even a hundred years ago.”

“How many more students have to die before they’re convinced to let this archaic tradition go?” Mia muttered, turning her attention back to her book. “A girl was nearly crushed to death five years ago due to this stupid event.”

Phoenix felt himself freeze at the words. He knew that the tournament was dangerous—he read enough of his magical history to know that. But he hadn’t realized that the newly revamped tournaments had already had a close call.

What in the world was Edgeworth thinking? He could _die_. For what? He didn’t even look that excited about entering the tournament.

“So you won’t be putting your name into the Goblet?” Larry asked. Phoenix resisted the urge to hit him. Couldn’t he tell what the mood around this topic was?

Mia simply snorted. “Of course not.”

Lana nodded in agreement, adding, “As if I’d jeopardize my N.E.W.T scores with this nonsense.”

Larry sighed dramatically. “I guess Nick is our only hope for a good representative then.” He said, slapping Phoenix hard on the back.

Mia quickly looked up from her book to deliver a hardened glare to both Phoenix and Larry. “If any of you even _thinks_ about applying to this charade, I’ll skin you both alive.”

Phoenix shivered at the threat, a sentiment that was clearly shared by Larry—who quickly tried to assure Mia that he was too young to even attempt to apply.

“I guess some other random slump will have to go up against Edgeworth then.” Larry pondered out loud.

“You really think he’s going to be chosen?” Phoenix replied, as Lana simultaneously asked, “Who’s Edgeworth?”

“Edgeworth…” Mia muttered. “Why does that name sound familiar? Didn’t we have a professor named that once?”

“You’re thinking of Professor Edgeworth. He died a while ago.” Phoenix explained, “That’s his son—Miles Edgeworth. He’s a little famous, in some political circles.” Phoenix finished, trying to be slightly vague. Hopefully that would be enough for Mia to remember. Phoenix didn’t feel like going too deeply into Edgeworth’s new reputation in front of everyone else.

But it wasn’t until Maya spoke that Mia’s eyes lit up with recognition.

“He’s Nick and Larry’s old friend!” Maya shared, seemingly proud of the information she had just found out earlier that day.

“I see.” Mia nodded. She looked at Phoenix with mild concern but didn’t say anything else, which he was grateful for.

“Yeah!” Larry added, “He was the fancy looking dude who went up to the Goblet first!”

“Him?” Ema asked. “He was sort of cute.” She titled her head. “I didn’t think someone like that would hang out with you two.”

“Hey!” Larry complained loudly.

“Yeah, okay, thanks.” Phoenix retorted before adding, with a mild bitterness that was hard to bury, “It was a long time ago, anyways.”

Thankfully the bitterness wasn’t too noticeable, at least not to Ema, as she quickly replied, “Yeah, it’d have to be.”

Larry threw a crumbled-up napkin at her in retaliation.

“You think he might get picked?” Maya asked, referring back to Edgeworth. It was clear that she was curious about the possibility, instead of mildly horrified like Phoenix was.

“Who knows? He was the first person to put his name in, maybe that’d give him an edge.” Larry shrugged, turning back to his meal. The conversation slowly started to die down as everyone focused back on their food. The next time someone spoke, it was to go over what they had done during the summer between bites of their dinner.

Phoenix didn’t say anything else, and he could barely find the concentration to eat. His head felt too full of questions and anxiety. Even putting aside Mia’s foreboding comments, something about this tournament felt off.

 _‘Maybe if I could just talk to Edgeworth…’_ Phoenix thought, finally managing to eat some of his food. _‘Maybe then I can figure out what’s going on.’_

That opportunity came by sooner than he thought it would, when he, Larry, and Maya were heading back to the Hufflepuff Dormitory.

Phoenix was the first one to spot Edgeworth walking past them, but it was Larry who called out to him.

“Hey! Edgey! Long time no see!” Larry yelled out before Phoenix could decide whether or not it was a good idea to approach him.

For a moment it looked like it wouldn’t matter either way. At first Edgeworth kept moving as if he hadn’t heard Larry. It was only when the younger girl besides him had stopped and turned towards them that Edgeworth acknowledged their presence.

The girl, who looked to be around Maya’s age, held herself in a regal and almost self-important manner. She was wearing one of those poofy things around her neck that seemed stylish among the Durmstrang crowd. Her poofy thing looked particularly fancy, with a blue jewel adorning it.

“Edgey!” Larry yelled again, smiling when they were within normal-talking distance. “It’s been ages, man. Remember us?” He waved to himself and Phoenix, “It’s Larry and Nick!”

“You know these people?” The Durmstrang girl asked Edgeworth, raising one of her eyebrows.

“Of course he does!” Larry replied, not waiting for Edgeworth to respond.

Phoenix thought he saw Edgeworth sigh slightly before he answered. “We were classmates once.” Edgeworth replied before turning harshly to Larry, “And it’s Edgeworth, not ‘Edgey’.”

“Ah, back when you went to Hogwarts.” The Durmstrang girl replied. Somehow, Phoenix thought there was a tinge of smugness in her tone. What it stemmed from, though, he didn’t know.

“Yes, Franziska.” Edgeworth deadpanned. “Back when I went to Hogwarts.”

“So you’re Franziska, huh?” Larry said, still friendly despite the stilted atmosphere of their conversation. “I’m Larry Butz! Nice to meet ya!” He stuck out a hand to shake.

Franziska glanced from Larry’s open hand back to his face. “It’s von Karma to you. Franziska von Karma. A pleasure, I’m sure.” She kept her arms across her chest. “And I assume you’re ‘Nick’?” She looked at Phoenix.

“Phoenix, actually. Phoenix Wright. Only Larry or Maya call me Nick.” Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck. “And maybe Pearls. But everyone else calls me Phoenix.”

Phoenix couldn’t help but look at Edgeworth at his last statement, feeling slightly self-conscious. Their eyes met for an awkward moment, and Phoenix thought he could see surprise in Edgeworth’s expression before he quickly broke the eye contact. He didn’t comment on Phoenix’s name.

“And I’m Maya!” Maya cheered, breaking some of the weird tension. “Maya Fey, since I guess we’re all blabbing out our last names.”

“You’re a Fey?” Franziska asked, for the first time looking actually interested in the conversation. “What are you doing here then, instead of Mahoutokoro?”

“Oh!” Maya shuffled her feet, looking slightly nervous. “My mom teaches Arithmancy here, and she gets some benefits if we go to school with her! And, um, Hogwarts is pretty famous you know?” Maya shrugged, “I’ve never been to Mahoutokoro myself, but I know my sister and my cousins went there for a few years, I guess.” Maya then brightened up, as she led herself into more familiar territory. “We all go back to Japan during breaks though! Have you ever been to Kurain?”

Franziska hummed, though whether it was a pleased or dissatisfied hum was ambiguous. “I’ve never been to Kurain, no.” Then she smiled. “But I’ve been to Japan and all across Europe. I’ve attended Mahoutokoro for a short while, and several other highly-ranked international schools.”

With that, Franziska pulled out her wand and displayed it to Maya with a flourish. Maya looked at it curiously before gasping, “It’s cherry wood!”

“Indeed.” Franziska smiled smugly. Phoenix got the impression that she was the type who really enjoyed showing off. He was sure that she knew how prized cherry-wood wands were in Japan.

The conversation was stopped from escalating any further by Edgeworth.

“Franziska.” Edgeworth interrupted. “We should head back now. Your father wanted to talk to us, remember?”

Franziska scowled at Edgeworth, but put her wand away.

“We’ll continue this later then.” Franziska said to Maya. She didn’t even bother to glance at either Phoenix or Larry before turning to walk away.

Edgeworth paused for only a second before following her.

“See you later, I guess!” Larry said. Edgeworth kept moving.

“Well…” Phoenix muttered after the two were long gone, “that happened.”

“Man, I didn’t think I was possible,” Larry said, “but Edgeworth got even stuffier somehow!”

“I don’t know,” Maya commented, “they didn’t seem that bad to me.”

“Eh, at least he remembered us!” Larry shrugged, starting the walk back to their dormitory. “That’s good, right Nick?”

“I guess.” Phoenix replied. He couldn’t help but notice that Edgeworth had avoided talking to either of them—except when he corrected Larry. Almost everything he’d said had been directed at Franziska, with their presence barely being acknowledged.

“I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time to catch up!” Maya said, forever optimistic. Larry cheerfully agreed. But Phoenix couldn’t shake the certainty that Edgeworth would try his best to avoid all of them.

It was a prediction, unfortunately, that seemed to be coming true.

Over the next few days the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang exchange students trickled into their classes. And, despite being in Phoenix’s Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, Edgeworth still did his best to steer clear of him. Any attempts Phoenix made to talk were met with a cold shoulder.

It was depressing, to say the least.

“Sometimes people change.” Mia would say whenever he complained about it. It was the same thing she had told him years ago, when she had first found out about Edgeworth.

It had been back during fourth year, after one of their annual trips to Hogsmeade. Phoenix had been shopping with Larry when he had spotted it—an issue of the Daily Prophet that had a familiar face on its front page. Phoenix had bought it immediately on sight.

The title 'Dark suspicions of a future demon minister' had caused him some minor anxiety, but it wasn't until Phoenix was back in Hogwarts that he found out the total horrible scope of the article.

It was all about Manfred von Karma (who wasn't pictured) and his protégé, Miles Edgeworth (who was). The article spoke of von Karma's influence in the ministry, and how he continuously pushed for Azkaban reforms, stricter werewolf regulations, and wizard-muggle communication policies which could negatively impact muggleborns. Not to mention the rumors of von Karma’s old links with the dark arts, though they apparently remained only rumors.

Some of it was hard for Phoenix to understand at the time, especially since he hadn’t paid much attention to politics before. But he knew enough to know that this von Karma was against everything Miles believed in. Or, well, had believed in.

Because now it seemed like Edgeworth was following in this man’s footsteps. That was what the article was saying, anyways. That Edgeworth was already starting to help von Karma with his ministry campaigns, and that he was spouting his political arguments.

None of it made any sense to Phoenix. How did this happen? That stupid piece of paper couldn’t explain it to him, how Miles had seemed to betray a core part of his personality.

The worst part of it, Phoenix thought, was how impersonal the words were. Even the moving picture of Miles felt distanced, his eyes never focusing on the camera. The article’s tone was suspicious, intensely combing over each of Edgeworth’s actions. But for all of the attention, no one seemed to actually care. It all felt too sensational. Even the death of Edgeworth’s father, the reason why von Karma had taken him in, was only mentioned to highlight the drama.

Phoenix hadn’t even known that Professor Edgeworth was dead. And the article refused to tell him how it had happened, or why—if there was even a reason behind it.

Phoenix was so upset, over Professor’s Edgeworth’s death, over how much Miles had changed, over how alone Miles had to be for all of this to happen, that he ran into the Prefects bathroom to read the article all over again.

Though he wasn't a prefect or a captain, Phoenix was one of the students who were given special use of the entry password, in case the regular bathrooms made them uncomfortable. Phoenix tended not to use it, not personally having a real need for it, but the Prefect's bathroom was usually empty—making it the perfect place to have a good cry. It was especially private at night, when there was only Moaning Myrtle to deal with. But she wasn't that bad. Plus, she was usually crying too.

Phoenix must have been in there for at least an hour when Mia had found him. Unlike Phoenix, she was a prefect. He knew her vaguely as the daughter of Professor Fey, but other than that he had never spoken to her.

That had changed that night.

~

_“What’s wrong with you?” Mia asked bluntly. Phoenix continued to sob. Mia looked uncomfortable._

_They both stared at each other awkwardly, Phoenix crying and Mia cringing, for a long moment before Mia bit her lip and knelt down beside him._

_“Is…um, is everything alright?” Mia asked. Instead of answering, Phoenix examined the green and silver fabric of her scarf as it settled across her knees._

_“Do you…want me to go?” Mia’s voice was uncertain._

_Phoenix gave her the Daily Prophet article in response._

_It was quiet as Mia read it, and Phoenix tried to use that time to get his breathing under control._

_“Are you muggleborn?” Mia’s voice was sympathetic. “Because if you are, you should know that it’s unlikely that any of these policies will pass. Minister Kingsley has tried his hardest to avoid a repeat of what happened in ’98.”_

_Phoenix nodded in answer, because he **was** muggleborn. But that was only part of why he was upset._

_He pointed to the picture of Edgeworth, “That’s Miles,” He said, his voice raspy from crying. “He’s…he used to be my best friend.”_

_“Oh.” Mia replied._

_They both sat there in silence again for a bit._

_“Sometimes…” Mia said, her voice coming out in a sigh, “sometimes people change.”_

_Phoenix was starting to cry again. “I know that.” He said as he tugged his knees into his chest. “I know that…but this is too much! The Miles I knew would have never done any of those things. It’s the exact opposite of everything he’s ever believed in!”_

_Phoenix didn’t know how else to describe it, not without going into things that he had promised never to tell anyone else. It felt impossible to convey just how wrong it all was; how it went against the very fabric of who Miles was, what their friendship had been._

_“Something’s happened to him.” Phoenix muttered into his knees. “I just know it has. And there’s no one there to help him. He’s all alone.”_

_Mia said nothing for a while, and for a moment Phoenix thought she had left. But then she spoke. “Are you sure about this?” She asked._

_Phoenix looked up to see Mia staring at him, an intense look on her face. It told him that she was serious about this, and that he needed to answer honestly._

_That was why he made sure to maintain eye contact with her when he said, “I’d stake my life on it.”_

_Mia held his gaze before sighing. “Well then,” She said, getting up from the ground, “You’d better get to work.”_

_“Huh?” Phoenix asked._

_“You want to help him, right?” Mia crossed her arms over her chest._

_“Of course!” Phoenix used the bathroom wall to help get himself back up again._

_“Well, the first thing you’ll need to do is try and understand just what it is he’s gotten into.” Mia said. “I’m guessing that you’re not that familiar with Ministry politics?”_

_“No,” Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously, “not really.”_

_Mia nodded like she hadn’t expected any other answer. “I can help you with that part—the rest you’ll have to decide on your own.”_

_“Wait, really?” Phoenix asked. Would a near-stranger really offer help, just like that?_

_“It’s no trouble.” Mia replied. “Those issues…they’re important to me as well, though not in the same way.” Mia looked far away for a moment, before she turned her focus back to the moment at hand. “I’m going to work in the Ministry one day, and I plan on changing things. People like von Karma and his ‘protégé’ are the type of people I’m going to have to fight.”_

_Mia turned to Phoenix, her smile soft. “If what you say is true, then that could be one less person in my way.”_

_Phoenix blinked a few times. “So that means you’ll help me?”_

_Mia rolled her eyes, the gesture already holding a hint of affection. “Yes, I’ll help you.” Mia then paused suddenly, as if she had forgotten something. “Wait, what’s your name again?”_

_The two of them gawked at each other before bursting out into giggles._

~

Without Mia’s encouragement, Phoenix wasn’t sure if he would’ve had the drive (or, when it came to politics, the understanding) to continue what he needed to do to help Edgeworth. Or, at least, he wouldn’t have been able to get things done as quickly as he had.

Like Mia had told him before, he had to be the one to decide exactly how he was supposed to help. But Mia was the one who kept him focused, who explained all the intricacies of Ministry politics whenever Phoenix felt like his head was going to explode.

But what was the point of it all, if Edgeworth wouldn’t even talk to him? Was everything he had accomplished and learned these past few years for nothing?

It was hard not to think like that, especially late at night.

Phoenix thought about looking back over the article, to see if he could see any difference between the ‘demon minister’ the paper described and the Edgeworth he’d been seeing daily for the past week.

He still had the article in all of its tear-stained glory, along with the few letters he ever received from Miles, stuffed in an old jewelry box under his bed stand.

Phoenix turned over in bed as he decided that he didn’t feel quite that pathetic. At least, not tonight.

And what about the tournament? That was another thing that was bothering him. What would happen if Edgeworth was chosen?

It seemed likely, after all. The gossip around Hogwarts told him that much. Almost everyone agreed that Edgeworth was the main contender for Durmstrang, and Headmaster von Karma made no secret that he expected his protégé to be chosen.

As for Beauxbaton, most people figured that it would be either Matt Engarde or Juan Corrida. Phoenix had no idea who they were, but apparently the two were minor Quidditch celebrities who had an ongoing feud with each other.

And Hogwarts? Well, no one could agree on that.

The tension around campus was getting unbearable, especially considering that the champions were going to be picked tomorrow at dinner. Phoenix knew that, at least on some level, was part of the reason why he couldn’t sleep.

But there wasn’t anything Phoenix could do. Edgeworth had already put his name into the Goblet. And, on top of that, the guy wouldn’t even talk to him!

So what if Edgeworth had decided to try out for a death competition? For, as far as Phoenix could tell, no good reason other than pleasing his mentor? It wasn’t any of his business. Edgeworth had been doing a solid job so far making sure of that. And again, there wasn’t anything that Phoenix could do, anyways.

Well…that wasn’t exactly true. He could always try to enter the tournament himself. At least then Phoenix could be there, if anything went wrong.

Which was a stupid idea. One that Mia would kill him for, if he ever went through with it. And he wasn’t going to. Because it was stupid. And it was unlikely that Phoenix would be picked anyways.

So why did his brain keep insisting that he at least try?

Phoenix grumbled and tried turning over in bed again. He should just go to sleep already. Obsessing about this stuff was pointless.

He needed to clear his head. Maybe a walk would do him some good.

With that decided, Phoenix quietly crept out of his bed. Because it was creeping into one o’clock, everyone else with sense was fast asleep, so there was no one awake to ask where he was going.

Phoenix walked out of the Hufflepuff Dormitory and past the kitchens. He didn’t have any real plan as to where he was going. He just wanted to get out all this restlessness swirling inside of him. Phoenix tried to be quiet as he walked around, since he knew that it was technically against the rules for students to be out this late.

But Gumshoe, the caretaker, wasn’t that strict—and it was usually pretty easy to tell when he was nearby. It was Missile, his dog, you had to watch out for. That dog was one hell of a barker. And Merlin help you if you were holding food.

But Phoenix had a few tricks up his sleeve if he caught wind of Gumshoe or Missile, so he wasn’t that worried. This wasn’t his first time sneaking out of his dorm at night.

Before he knew it, Phoenix found himself on the ground floor in the entrance hall. It was empty, as was to be expected since it was so late. The door to the Great Hall was open, and Phoenix could see the blue flickers of light cast by the Goblet’s flames. It wouldn’t stop burning until the Champions had been announced.

Phoenix frowned, turning away from the light. Instead he walked further down the entrance hall, in the opposite corner from the Great Hall entrance.

There were windows in that area, allowing Phoenix to get a brief look outside. There wasn’t much to see, even with the near-full moon lighting everything clearly. He could make out some ripples on the lake—but the Durmstrang boat was nowhere in sight.

Staying in a boat sounded miserable, to Phoenix at least. He got seasick easily. Sure, the boat was large, but Phoenix still couldn’t see how Edgeworth and the others could sleep on that thing.

Phoenix sighed, turning to look back inside.

The entrance hall really did look bare at the moment. Phoenix preferred how it looked during the holidays, especially Christmas. It was really festive then. The Christmas tree, which was usually placed right near where Phoenix was currently standing, was definitely his favorite.

Phoenix remembered how excited he’d been his first year at Hogwarts, seeing all the magical Christmas decorations around him.

_“Are you sure they won’t burn the tree down?” He asked, pointing at the candles floating around the Christmas tree in a lazy circle._

_Miles frowned, though he didn’t look that annoyed. “I told you! It’s magic. The wax doesn’t even drip.”_

_“That doesn’t make any sense.” Phoenix grumbled into his hot chocolate. “Aren’t Ravenclaws supposed to make sense?”_

_“Just because you don’t get it doesn’t make it not true.” Miles snorted. Then he turned back to his textbook. Phoenix was supposed to be studying with him, but couldn’t stop gazing back at the tree. The lights were so bright, like fireworks sparking into his eyes, except without any pain._

_They sat there together in the quiet, both huddled under heavy blankets. Phoenix wondered when Professor Edgeworth would come back to check in on them. It didn’t matter. It was nice like this, just being with Miles._

_Phoenix had been really upset at first, when he’d heard about Christmas break. It seemed like everyone, including Larry, was going to go home for the holidays. Phoenix was terrified that he’d have to spend two weeks in the Hogwarts castle all by himself. But then Miles had told him that he was staying behind too. Apparently his dad had volunteered to be one of the professors who looked over the campus while most of the students and staff were gone. Phoenix wasn’t scared after that._

_“I’ve been thinking.” Miles said suddenly, though he kept his eyes on his Transfiguration textbook. “You know how you’ve been thinking about being called something different?”_

_“Yeah?” Phoenix asked. If it were anyone else besides Miles, he might’ve felt nervous. But he’d long grown comfortable with Miles knowing these things about him. When he’d told Miles that he didn’t like his name, his friend hadn’t laughed. Then again, he also knew the reason why being called ‘Nicky’ made him uncomfortable—almost every other one of their classmates thought it was a shortening of ‘Nicholas’ instead of ‘Nicole’._

_Sure, Headmistress McGonagall made sure that all the professors refereed to him as ‘Mr. Wright’, but it was usually only the teachers who used people’s last names._

_Larry called him ‘Nick’, which was a lot better, but Phoenix still liked the idea of finding a first name that really fit him. He hadn’t been able to decide on one yet though._

_“Well,” Miles said as he took out another textbook, this one smaller than the other one, “I was reading over my Fantastic Beasts guide, and um…” Miles flipped through the pages until he finally found what he was looking for. Then, without making eye contact, he practically shoved the opened book near Phoenix’s face._

_It took a few seconds for Phoenix’s eyes to adjust to what he was seeing._

_“Phoenixes?” He asked, titling his head._

_Miles slowly let the book down near their knees. “You like them, right?”_

_“Yeah, they’re cool, I guess.” Phoenix said, tracing the detailed illustration of the bird’s tail. “But what about them?”_

_Miles was still having trouble meeting his eyes, so Phoenix tried to give him an encouraging smile. Miles met his eyes briefly to return a small smile of his own before looking back at the textbook._

_“Phoenixes are all about rebirth—they rise up better than they were before.” Miles said, pointing towards the textbook’s summary. “They’re also really loyal, like a Hufflepuff, and you have a Phoenix feather for your wand core, so I thought, maybe as a name…” Miles trailed off. Phoenix thought he could see his friend blushing slightly._

_“I just thought of you when I read it. That’s all.” Miles finished._

_“Oh.” Phoenix said. “I see.”_

_“It’s okay if you don’t like it.” Miles quickly replied. “You can choose something different if you want.”_

_Phoenix looked back at the book, where the illustrated Phoenix’s fiery wings were spread out in flight. **Rising out of the ashes, huh?** He thought._

_“I like it.” Phoenix said._

_“Really?” Miles asked, as if surprised._

_“I think so.” Phoenix said. Then he looked back at Miles. “Try using it on me!”_

_“Oh, okay.” Miles replied. He paused, as if thinking about what he should say. Then he squared his shoulders, making sure to face his friend completely._

_“Phoenix.” Miles said, his small voice sounding very serious, “Drink your hot chocolate. It’s getting cold.”_

_Phoenix smiled wide. “Yours is going cold too!” Then he paused and added, “Miles.”_

_“Well…Phoenix,” Miles was starting to smile too, “then I’ll just have to drink mine as well.”_

_“Quite right, Miles.” He replied in an imitation of Miles’ accent._

_“Quite right, Phoenix.” Miles nodded sternly._

_Thankfully, when they finally got around to drinking their hot chocolate, it was only lukewarm, not cold._

Phoenix sighed, a sound that lightly echoed across the currently-empty entrance hall.

Why was he kidding himself? He knew why he’d come out here.

He was going to enter the tournament.

It would probably lead to nothing, but Phoenix knew he had to try. It wasn’t in him to leave a friend—even an estranged one—to face something so dangerous on their own.

It was unlikely that anyone would ever even know that he’d thrown his name into the Goblet. But Phoenix would know. And he wouldn’t be able to rest until he knew that he’d at least tried to be there for Edgeworth.

There were paper and quills near the Goblet, stationed there with an obvious purpose. With a steady hand he wrote **‘Phoenix Wright’** onto a small strip of paper. Then Phoenix folded it in half and threw it into the cup. He watched determinedly as the blue flames devoured it whole.

Then, and only then, was Phoenix able to return back to his bed and sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a bit of thought, I decided to use the name 'Phoenix' constantly throughout all the flashbacks. Not only does it avoid confusion, but it also didn't sit right with me for the narration to refer to Phoenix using his dead-name. I'm genderfluid transmasc myself, and I know the experiences aren't _exactly_ the same, but that's just how I felt.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this new story! I'll update every two weeks. [Here's my tumblr](http://maud-moon.tumblr.com/) if you ever wanna geek out with me.


	2. Chapter 2

_It was his first official school day at Hogwarts and, for once, Phoenix was absolutely ecstatic to be inside a classroom. The prospect of school sounded a lot less boring when magic was involved. Even history sounded cool when it was about wizards!_

_Phoenix fidgeted excitedly in his chair, lightly touching his new black and yellow tie. He had found out yesterday what it meant to be a Hufflepuff. It’d been scary at first, when the Sorting Hat had started speaking into Phoenix’s mind and examining him. But afterwards? Dozens of strangers were suddenly cheering for him, happy to welcome him into their group._

_Phoenix wasn’t good at making friends. It wasn’t that he was unpopular at school, not precisely. No one consciously went out of their way to avoid him. At least, Phoenix didn’t feel like they did. It was more that no one ever wanted to get to know him. Kids would talk to him politely enough, but they always had someone else they wanted to spend their time with._

_It was like that at home, too. Or, well, the homes he’d been sent too. Every foster family that Phoenix was sent to never seemed to work out. In the best case scenarios, he just didn’t fit in. At the worst, his foster parents assumed that the weird accidents and sparks that followed him around (his magic, he’d find out later) were actually Phoenix’s way of acting out—and no one wanted a problem child._

_Eventually, he’d just been sent to a children’s home. It wasn’t so bad, compared to some of the places he’d been. But the owners wouldn’t believe Phoenix when he’d insisted that he was a boy. And that, along with his unpredictable ‘mishaps’, got him into trouble at times. It was lonely there too, even with the other kids. No one seemed to care about him. Not really, anyways._

_Getting sorted into Hufflepuff made Phoenix feel like he belonged somewhere, for once. Like a real family._

_That was how the Hufflepuff prefect had explained Houses to Phoenix and the other new students; they were supposed to be like a family. A place made up of people who were similar to you, and who would be there to hold you up if you fell. Especially Hufflepuffs, the prefect had explained. Hufflepuff’s were kind, dedicated, and loyal. Who would ever want to live anywhere else?_

_Phoenix desperately wanted to make his new family proud of him._

_It was nice that he took classes with people in his house, Phoenix reflected. Seeing half of the room filled with students wearing the same black-and-yellow combination helped to make him feel more centered. The other half of the class was filled with the blue-and-bronze colors of the Ravenclaw house. Phoenix hadn’t heard much about Ravenclaws—mostly he just knew that they were supposed to be smart._

_Their teacher, Professor Atmey, was very attention grabbing. At first, Phoenix was grateful for this, since he sometimes had trouble focusing in class. But as the Professor talked on, Phoenix started to get nervous._

_The Professor kept using words that Phoenix couldn’t understand. It sounded like the man was talking to a fancy grown-up instead of a room filled with eleven and twelve year olds._

_Maybe it was only Phoenix who was having trouble? All of the other kids seemed to be answering Professor Atmey’s questions easily enough. Professor Atmey would point to a random student, ask them a question about something Phoenix had never heard of, and then reward that student with House points when they answered it correctly. Phoenix had learned about the House Cup last night. All the older Hufflepuff students had seemed determined to win it this year, and had asked all the under classmates to do their best to help win points._

_Already, Phoenix’s fellow Hufflepuffs had earned twenty five House points from Professor Atmey._

_Then Professor Atmey called on Phoenix._

_“Mr. Wright, is it?” Professor Atmey said with a flourish, “Here’s an easy question for you: Who is the only known survivor of the Killing Curse?”_

_At first Phoenix was excited, since the Professor hadn’t used any big words. But then the actual question sunk in. Phoenix had no idea what the answer was. He’d never even heard of a Killing Curse!_

_“Um—I…I don’t know.” Phoenix managed to stutter out._

_“What? Why ever not?” The Professor asked, surprised._

_Phoenix’s mind raced, trying to think of something he could say. The eyes of the professor and all the other students’ were on him. He was starting to sweat. Then he remembered something he’d overheard an older student tell someone else: ‘If you find something confusing, you can mention that you’re a muggleborn,’ she’d said, ‘that way they’ll know to explain it to you.’_

_“I’m—I’m a muggleborn.” Phoenix said uncertainly. That was what he was supposed to say, right?_

_“Even a muggleborn should know this.” The Professor scoffed. Phoenix cringed as his last bit of hope was scraped away. The dread only increased when Professor Atmey announced, “Fifty points from Hufflepuff.”_

_The Hufflepuff section of their class immediately groaned._

_Phoenix sank lower into his chair._

_It got worse when, all of a sudden, a student yelled out: “Nice going!”_

_This caused a chain reaction._

_Suddenly, half of the Ravenclaw students were giggling and shouting out comments—“Who doesn’t know about Harry Potter?”, “What else do you expect from a Hufflepuff?” “That was the easiest question yet!”_

_The Hufflepuff side responded by growing even louder. “You wasted all our points!”, “Idiot!”, “Everyone knows ‘bout Harry!”_

_Phoenix heard the girl sitting next to him complain loudly, “I’m muggleborn too, and I already got three chocolate-frog Harry Potter trading cards!”_

_Professor Atmey did nothing to quiet down the students. If anything, he egged them on by saying, “Well, hopefully **someone** will learn something today.”_

_Phoenix could feel himself start to cry. He wasn’t really a part of anything, was he? Not even Hufflepuff, the House Phoenix had heard kids on the Hogwarts train describe as ‘the one that takes all the rest’, wanted him. He’d never felt so alone in his life._

_That was when it happened._

_“Objection!” Yelled out a small and sure voice. Phoenix turned around and saw that it came from a boy wearing a bronze-and-blue tie. He was standing up from his seat, finger pointed directly at their teacher. “Professor Atmey, you’re being unfair!”_

_Phoenix watched with growing amazement as the Ravenclaw boy continued to talk before anyone could interrupt him. “You’re the one who’s supposed to be teaching us about Magical History! You shouldn’t punish someone so harshly for not knowing something you haven’t told us yet.” Then the boy turned his finger on the rest of the class, “And you should all be ashamed of yourselves! Someone who’s just been introduced to the magical world might not have had the chance to know who Harry Potter is! Punishing someone for not knowing that answer is being biased against muggleborns—which is in direct violation of Ministry policy!”_

_“Mr. Edgeworth!” Professor Atmey reprimanded._

_“Yeah! What he said!” A second voice yelled out. It was a Hufflepuff boy who sat a little towards Phoenix’s right, “We can’t all eat chocolate frogs you know!” The Hufflepuff boy sniffed loudly in derision, “Some of us muggleborns are lactose intolerant!”_

_There was a nervous giggling from the students, which seemed to be the last straw for Professor Atmey._

_“That’s it. Mr. Edgeworth, Mr. Butz—detention for both of you!” The Professor yelled._

_“Punishing us won’t change the truth!” The boy named Edgeworth yelled, still standing._

_“Yeah!” Butz said, “Take another fifty points! See if I care.”_

_The class watched in silence as the Professor’s monocle shook with anger. Then, with a snap, the Professor yelled out, “Zvarri! Miles Edgeworth and Larry Butz, you will report to the detention chamber at 5:00 sharp! Or there will be consequences! The next person who speaks out of turn will get one hundred points taken from their House! Am I clear?”_

_No one said anything. And, after a few minutes, the professor went back to stiffly giving his lesson. He didn’t ask any more questions._

_Larry leaned rebelliously in his chair, but didn’t say another word._

_Phoenix shyly turned around to see the Ravenclaw boy sitting down, an unwavering glare turned towards the professor._

_Phoenix silently resolved to join the two boys in their detention. After all, they were in there because they had stood up for him. The least Phoenix could do was join them in their punishment._

_And, well, maybe detention wouldn’t be so bad if you spent it with the right people._

~

Phoenix was currently spending his time in Potions class glaring at the back of Edgeworth’s head.

Like every other day this week, Edgeworth had ignored Phoenix’s ‘Good Mornings’. At this point Phoenix was doing it to be passive-aggressive. Was it really that hard to say ‘hello’?

Unless you counted scowling as a greeting. In that case, Edgeworth had been very friendly so far.

Phoenix felt slightly sorry for the Durmstrang girl sitting next to Edgeworth. Kay seemed like a nice girl, if a little over excitable. She also seemed to have a problem with keeping her hair properly contained. It was true that she kept it up in a high ponytail, but it still managed to come dangerously close to whipping Phoenix in the face from his spot behind the pair.

At least Edgeworth sometimes responded when she talked to him, Phoenix thought bitterly. 

They weren’t even making anything today in Potions class, so Phoenix had nothing but the class lecture to keep his attention away from Edgeworth. But unfortunately, not even Professor Armando’s weird-ass metaphors could achieve that.

Was it really that difficult for Edgeworth to acknowledge him? Even just a ‘hello’ every now and again would be alright. Anything that even _vaguely_ implied that Edgeworth remembered being his friend.

Sure, Edgeworth was treating him like he’d been treating every other Hogwarts student so far—with detached disinterest. But Phoenix was supposed to be different. He had been, once.

Okay, so maybe crumpling up some paper wads to flick at Edgeworth’s head was childish. But, really, didn’t Edgeworth sort of start it? Ignoring people was pretty childish in itself, after all.

It took three successful paper-wad hits until Edgeworth turned around. The glare he hit Phoenix with was, admittedly, very impressive. It would’ve been enough to terrify anyone else. Even Phoenix might’ve backed down if this had been a normal situation.

As it was though, Phoenix just felt victorious that he had finally gotten Edgeworth’s attention. The smile on Phoenix’s face was probably unbearably smug. It definitely made Edgeworth’s frown deeper.

Of course, Phoenix had to make it worse. Still feeling a little annoyed about being ignored so many times, he flicked another paper wad. This one hit Edgeworth’s cheek.

Edgeworth barely blinked at the impact. Instead he narrowed his eyes at Phoenix, mustering up an expression of pure disgust. That only made Phoenix grin harder.

‘Stop it.’ Edgeworth mouthed out silently.

Phoenix raised his eyebrows and flicked another paper wad in response.

Edgeworth gave him an unimpressed look and turned around. He refused to react even after Phoenix threw four more paper wads at him.

“What is with you and the Durmstrang boy?” Dahlia, Phoenix’s Potions partner, asked.

Phoenix hadn’t thought much of it when he saw that Dahlia was in his class. It wasn’t a surprise that she was there, despite being a fifth-year. Dahlia had always been skilled at Potions.

What had surprised Phoenix was when, starting a few days ago, Dahlia had decided to sit next to him and be his partner. Phoenix was confused but hadn’t protested, since Dahlia working with him could only improve his grades.

“What’s with you being my Potions partner?” Phoenix asked instead of answering her question.

To say that Phoenix and Dahlia had an awkward relationship would be an understatement. 

They hadn’t officially met until Phoenix had spent the summer at Kurain before Phoenix’s fifth year. Phoenix had only seen her in passing back at Hogwarts, but that had been enough for him to develop a slight crush. After a few weeks of living in Kurain and talking to her daily, his crush shortly evolved to him becoming completely smitten. Dahlia had the same untouchable and elegant aura around her as she had at school. But, on occasion, she would talk to Phoenix with a sweet shyness. Phoenix’s heart swelled at the thought that he’d managed to see such a cute aspect of her cool persona.

This wouldn’t have been a problem, if it had consistently been Dahlia that Phoenix was speaking too.

Phoenix had known, in theory, that Dahlia had a twin. It was only that she and Iris were so much easier to tell apart back at Hogwarts—with Dahlia being in Slytherin and Iris in Hufflepuff.

But back at Kurain, the twins didn’t have to wear their uniform house colors. Which, apparently, meant that Phoenix was unable to tell them apart. So, during the moments when he and Iris were alone, Phoenix tended to assume that it was actually Dahlia he was speaking to.

What made it even more embarrassing was that Phoenix had been acquainted with Iris before staying at Kurain. They were both in the same house after all. And, while they weren’t exactly friends, they’d always gotten along in a general sense. The problem was that Phoenix had seen Iris as the type who kept to herself, someone who didn’t speak to him unless spoken to.

But what Phoenix hadn’t know at the time was that Iris had a crush on him—and that she was slowly trying to overcome her shyness around him after finding out that Phoenix would be staying with her family. It was almost ironic, that Iris’ increased attempts at socializing only strengthened Phoenix’s assumptions that he was talking to Dahlia.

What happened during that summer was one of the most mortifying experiences Phoenix or Iris had ever gone through. 

Phoenix would talk to Iris, thinking she was Dahlia, while Iris was under the impression that Phoenix knew it was her. The results were not pretty.

Eventually, about a month into the summer, Phoenix had tried asking Dahlia out. This time, it had been the real Dahlia he’d been speaking too. And she was disgusted.

That was when Phoenix found out that Dahlia thought he was annoying. The whole misunderstanding was then revealed. Iris had been crushed, Phoenix felt awful, and Dahlia officially hated his guts.

Shortly after, Dahlia had dyed her hair a bright red. She made it very clear that it was so that Phoenix, or anyone else Iris was kind to, wouldn’t make the mistake that she did anything more than tolerate them. (Also, Dahlia added, she looked great in red).

It had been a year after all of that, and he and Iris were starting to talk regularly again, all awkwardness aside. But Dahlia still made a point to let Phoenix know that she thought he was pathetic.

Which was why Phoenix didn’t understand why Dahlia deigned to sit next to him in Potions.

“I’m sitting here for the same reason you are.” Dahlia said, giving him an unimpressed look. Then she pointed to where Kay and Edgeworth were sitting, directly in front of them. “To spy on the Durmstrang champion.”

“I’m not spying on him.” Phoenix protested, trying to keep his voice low so as to not attract Professor’s Armando’s attention, “And you really think Edgeworth is going to be chosen?” he asked. He knew she was referring to Edgeworth, since Kay was too young to enter the competition.

“You don’t?” Dahlia’s voice was surgery sweet, but her face didn’t change expression.

Phoenix frowned, deciding he didn’t feel like answering. He wouldn’t have put his name into the Goblet if he thought it unlikely that Edgeworth would be picked. But he wasn’t going to tell Dahlia that.

“Why are you ‘spying’ on him anyways?” Phoenix asked instead, using parenthesis quotes with his hands.

The expression that Dahlia gave him could almost be described as bored. “You really don’t get these things, do you?” She sighed daintily, turning back to write in her notes. “It’s always good to keep an eye out around here.” Dahlia smiled then, the corner of her eye turning to look briefly back at him. “You never know what _interesting_ new things you’ll find out.”

Phoenix grumbled, trying to turn back to the lecture. He didn’t feel like talking anymore, and Dahlia seemed just as done with him. He tried not to think too hard about what Dahlia had meant.

Her smile looked too knowing for Phoenix’s comfort.

~

Maybe Phoenix should start paying better attention in class. It was barely the end of the first school week and already he was having trouble with his homework.

But to be fair, the problem was less likely Phoenix’s focus so much as it was the chaos currently around him.

Apparently even the Hufflepuff Common Room was getting caught up in the tournament politics. Phoenix could barely concentrate with the amount of betting going on. 

“I put in twelve treacle tarts for Juan getting Beauxbaton.” Larry said. He would not stop trying to get Phoenix involved in the betting as well. “If you put in something for Matt, then there’s no way for us to lose!”

Phoenix did his best to ignore him while Maya scoffed. “I’m telling you, Larry, you’re a sucker.” Maya said. “The Hogwarts pool is way better! Everyone’s going 50/50 on Corrida and Engarde.”

“Yeah, so what?” Larry asked. “That means there’s a 50/50 chance that I’ll win!”

“And so does everyone else—which means that your winnings will be smaller.” Maya pointed out. “Don’t you understand how betting works?”

Phoenix looked up at his friends’ conversation, resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t get anything done today. It was probably for the best. Try as he did not to think about it, Phoenix also couldn’t keep his mind off the champion selections.

Larry was actually thinking Maya’s words over. “So I’ll get more winnings if less people bet on the same person as me?”

“Yeah.” Maya confirmed. “At least, I’m pretty sure that’s how it works.”

“Hmm…I guess betting in the Hogwarts pool is a good idea.” Larry rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Which person did you bet on Maya?”

“No way am I betting!” Maya said, tucking her chocolate frogs close to her chest. “I’m not going to risk my snacks like that!”

“Not even for more candy?” Larry waggled his eyebrows. Maya shook her head and stuck out her tongue.

Larry frowned, then turned his attention back to Phoenix. “Then who do you think I should bet on, Nick?”

Phoenix tried not to let any nervousness show on his face. He was suddenly very grateful that he’d entered his name into the Goblet when everyone else was asleep. If Larry knew about that, he’d have told everyone that Phoenix was a contender. He probably would’ve bet on him too.

It would’ve been a sweet gesture, but it also meant that Mia would find out and murder Phoenix where he stood.

“I don’t know.” Phoenix shrugged. “Why don’t you try the Durmstrang pool?”

Larry looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “What’s the point in that? Everyone knows Edgey’s the shoe-in.”

It was hardly the first time that Phoenix had heard something like that, but it still made him uncomfortable. Not to mention that it made the pit in Phoenix’s stomach even worse. “Is everyone that convinced Edgeworth will get it?” Phoenix asked.

It was a little hypocritical, since Phoenix himself was sure that Edgeworth would be chosen. But that didn’t mean he wanted it to be any less true.

Unlike Dahlia, Larry seemed to actually consider his question.

“Well, I did hear that this Lang kid from Durmstrang entered.” Larry mused. “But Edgeworth’s still the top pick.” His eyes lit up then. “But imagine how much a killing I’d make if I bet against Edgey!”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.” Maya added. “If betting that someone won’t win is allowed.”

Larry yelled out to the center of the Common Room, where the head of the betting pools stood. “Can not-Edgeworth be a category?” His voice somehow carried over the other students talking. “I bet six acid pops on not-Edgey!” Larry added before it was confirmed that betting against someone was allowed.

Phoenix sighed and tried to read his textbook again. It didn’t do him much good—it was only a few more minutes before his friends dragged him over to the dining table. Phoenix, in a moment of doomed optimism, brought his backpack and books along with him.

It felt like everyone was trying to arrive early, excited about the champion selection. The entire hall was filled fifteen minutes before dinner was set to start.

Maya and Larry continued to debate about betting up until Mia and Lana showed up, after which they moved to different topics. That was probably a good idea, in Phoenix’s opinion. So far, both Mia and Lana had only shown scorn for anything connected to the tournament. No one in their friend group liked being the subject of those two’s disapproving stares.

It felt all too soon when Headmistress McGonagall called the school to attention.

“Now, I’m sure you’re all very excited—so let’s begin.” She said, approaching the Goblet of Fire.

Everyone watched intently as the blue flames burned a bright pink before spitting out a smoking, yet unburnt, piece of paper. Professor McGonagall grabbed it from the air with the same elegant firmness with which she handled everything.

Professor McGonagall opened up the paper. The knots in Phoenix’s stomach grew tighter.

“The Beauxbaton champion is,” McGonagall announced, “Celeste Inpax.”

There was a short moment of silence followed by a loud roaring, the Beauxbaton students cheering the loudest. A brunette witch, presumably Celeste, stepped coolly to her place at the front of the dining hall. Her smile looked the teensiest bit smug.

The excited yelling quickly died down as the Goblet spat out another paper. 

“And for Durmstrang,” Professor McGonagall said, “Miles Edgeworth.”

The room was set aloud with cheering once again, but Phoenix could barely register it over the sound of his stomach dropping.

Edgeworth kept his face expressionless as he walked to stand beside Celeste.

Phoenix moved his gaze down to the dinner table, feeling helpless. Edgeworth really had been chosen as the Durmstrang champion. And there wasn’t anything that Phoenix could do.

Phoenix was still staring down at his half-eaten food when the Headmistress made the final announcement.

“And the Hogwarts champion is,” McGonagall opened the last paper, “Phoenix Wright.”

There were a few frozen seconds where Phoenix thought he had misheard. It was only when he looked up and saw all his classmates staring at him, that it finally clicked what had happened.

No one spoke. Phoenix looked around and saw that his friends were staring at him in shock. With a start he realized that everyone was waiting for him to move.

Phoenix bounced up from his seat quickly, knocking a few utensils off the table and almost falling down along the way. It felt like Phoenix’s body was moving on its own as he walked all the way up to the front of the Hall. He tried not to wince when he banged into a few tables, apparently not done with his clumsy streak.

“Here!” Phoenix chirped weakly once he reached Headmistress McGonagall, as if this were a simple attendance instead of the champion selection of the Triwizard Tournament. None of it felt real.

McGonagall gave him a smile and patted him on the shoulder, guiding him to where the other two champions stood. Since Phoenix was a champion now. That was a thing that was happening.

Edgeworth was staring right at him. Phoenix noticed this instantly, since it was Edgeworth he immediately sought out. His face had the most emotion on it that Phoenix had seen from him since he came back to Hogwarts. Edgeworth looked…well, he looked like Phoenix had just punched him—confused, angry, and not a little bit betrayed. It was a not a nice stare. Phoenix wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve it. 

There wasn’t any time to ask him either, as the three of them were escorted away to a different room.

It was a Ministry member that was leading them, the one who had been put in charge of helping to oversee the event. Phoenix couldn’t remember his name, but he was an elderly man with a long grey beard, and Phoenix had heard that he was some sort of well-known Judge.

Phoenix tried to keep his eyes on the older man’s bald head, or Celeste’s bouncing ponytail, instead of paying attention to the burning gaze on his back.

Edgeworth was finally paying attention to him again, it seemed. Just not in the way he had hoped.

The room they were escorted in was filled with clocks and trophies, a cozy fireplace placed near the end. It reminded Phoenix of the one in the Hufflepuff Common room, so he gravitated to it naturally. Celeste took a seat at one of the few armchairs in the room, looking as calm as could be.

Edgeworth was no longer actively glaring at him, instead sneaking subtle glances every once in a while. Edgeworth didn’t sit down like Celeste. Instead he held himself up stiffly, as if he would be called to attention at any moment.

“Now then,” The Judge smiled, “You’ve all officially been chosen as champions! Before we get started, are there any conditions or medications you have that might affect your performance in the tournament?”

Phoenix became hyper aware of Edgeworth glaring at him again. It was enough to fluster Phoenix into saying the first thing that came to mind. “I’m on testosterone.” Phoenix spluttered out.

He immediately felt embarrassed. Not necessarily for admitting he was on testosterone, since Phoenix had been relatively open about being trans since his third year. His embarrassment stemmed more from the fact that the Judge had likely been asking about medications that would interfere with him being in the tournament. Now he just looked like an excitable idiot.

Edgeworth was still looking at him, as if expecting Phoenix to say something else.

“Hmm, yes, that should be fine.” The old minister nodded absentmindedly.

“Shouldn’t you be asking us these questions separately?” Celeste suddenly said. It was the first time Phoenix had ever heard her speak. Unlike Phoenix, her voice didn’t betray even an ounce of nervousness. Whether or not she was actually as calm and collected as she seemed, however, was a different matter in itself. 

“It’s private, after all.” Celeste added. She directed a small smile towards Phoenix then, one that seemed more polite than sincere. Phoenix thought there might’ve been a sympathetic tilt to it, but he wasn’t sure.

“Yes, I understand.” The Judge nodded. “That’s why I thought I’d ask before your mentors got here.”

Celeste and Edgeworth appeared just as dumbfounded as Phoenix felt. There was a quiet, split moment of camaraderie between the three champions as they all looked at each other and thought the same thing: _‘He completely missed the point’._

Then it was over, with the other two going back to subtly trying to gauge the competition.

Phoenix was still a little confused about how he’d gotten here.

It was Edgeworth who spoke up next. “Whether or not we have medical issues is irrelevant. The Goblet has chosen us, and we are all contract-bound to participate in the Tournament.”

“That’s right!” The Judge agreed, as if he had forgotten about that rule until just now. Phoenix definitely had. He shivered slightly at the reminder that there was no turning back for any of them. They would all have to compete in the tournament. No matter what.

It was only a few moments until they were then joined by the three headmasters. Each of them walked immediately towards their respective champion. Professor Oldbag was easily the most enthusiastic, wrapping Celeste in a tight hug that Phoenix could’ve sworn popped the girl's back.

Professor von Karma didn’t do anything to acknowledge Edgeworth’s victory. Instead it was Edgeworth who gave his mentor a respectful nod. Phoenix didn’t have time to observe the Durmstrang pair any further, as Professor McGonagall swiftly approached him.

“Congratulations, Mr. Wright.” She grasped Phoenix’s hand warmly with her own. “I look forward to seeing your efforts.”

Phoenix tried to muster up as genuine a smile as he could. He was mildly terrified about all of this, true, but he still wanted to make a good impression for the Headmistress. She had always been so kind to him, even at the beginning. It was Professor McGonagall who had personally delivered his Hogwarts Letter at his old children’s home, introducing the magical world to him. She had also listened, in that soft and understanding way that adults rarely had, when Phoenix had asked if he could be treated like a wizard instead of a witch.

He really didn’t want to disappoint her.

Then Professor McGonagall turned to address the entire room. “The first task will take place in a month.” She looked at all three of the champions. “We’ve designed it to test both your knowledge and daring. It would do you good to use your time to prepare for it.”

Celeste and Edgeworth both nodded determinedly, while Phoenix gave an awkward thumbs up. He thought he could see the corner of McGonagall’s mouth lift up in amusement at the gesture.

Professor McGonagall’s announcement seemed to signal the end of their meeting. The headmasters exited the room almost simultaneously, though Professor von Karma had enough time to give Phoenix a look filled with pure derision before leaving.

The Judge motioned for the three of them to leave as well. Phoenix guessed that they weren’t really allowed to be in this room on their own. 

Out of the three of them, Celeste took the lead once again. She was the first one to go, splitting off from their group once they had exited the trophy room. The Judge continued to head in the general direction the headmasters had gone.

Edgeworth was walking in front of him, which was how Phoenix noticed when he slowed down to a stop. He stayed there until the others were officially out of sight, then turned around to look at Phoenix.

When he confirmed that Phoenix had stopped as well, Edgeworth inclined his head and started to walk again.

It only felt natural that Phoenix follow him.

Edgeworth led the two of them into a nearby classroom, after quickly checking to make sure it was empty. He closed the door once Phoenix was fully inside.

It looked like they were finally going to talk.

“So, I guess we’re both in the tournament, huh?” Phoenix said, not liking the weirdly charged silence hanging in the room. He’d start the conversation if Edgeworth wasn’t going to.

“Was this part of your plan?” Edgeworth asked, voice harsh.

“Huh?” Phoenix replied.

Edgeworth closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before answering. “The tournament.” He opened his eyes again. “What is it that you want? Are you planning on blackmailing me?” 

“What?” Phoenix nearly screeched.

“Is that your way of winning? Because, if that’s the case—”

“Edgeworth.” Phoenix interrupted, trying to make his tone as firm as possible. “I’m not—I’m not going to blackmail you, for Merlin’s sake! Why would I do that?”

Edgeworth scoffed. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, Wright.”

It took a second, but Phoenix did know what he was talking about, actually. How could he forget? “I told you, I wouldn’t… What makes you think I would do that to you?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Edgeworth laughed then, an incredibly bitter sound. Phoenix didn’t know how to respond.

“If you even think—” Edgeworth continued talking, clenching his fists up against his sides. “You’re the only thing in the way of me winning. I refused to be stopped because of a—” Edgeworth stuttered, a hint of fear at the edge of his eyes, “—a moment of weakness in my youth.”

The only thing? Weakness? Phoenix eyes automatically widened when it hit him. “Have you really not told anyone else?”

Edgeworth stared at him, his right arm hugged closely to his side. He’d made that same gesture back then, too. During their first year at Hogwarts, after Phoenix had told Miles (and only Miles) the truth behind his name, how everyone back in the Muggle world thought he was a girl.

_“I…” Miles clutched his right arm, shyly biting his lip, “I have a secret too, you know…” Miles looked back at him with wet and trusting eyes. It was the look of someone who, for the first time in their life, had found a friend they trusted with their entire being. Phoenix recognized that look, because he felt the same exact way about Miles._

_“Will you promise never to tell anyone?” Miles whispered._

“Edgeworth…” Phoenix automatically took a step towards him.

“Stop it!” Edgeworth snapped. “Don’t come any closer.”

Phoenix obeyed, holding his hands palm up in an effort to look placating. “I swear, Edgeworth, I haven’t told anyone. And I don’t plan to. I promised, remember?”

Edgeworth snorted. “Yes, the binding promise of a twelve year old.”

Despite himself, Phoenix was starting to feel irritated. He could understand why Edgeworth was scared, but it still hurt that he had so little faith in him. After ignoring him for a week, Edgeworth was the one accusing Phoenix of breaking _his_ trust. 

“I only entered this tournament in the first place because I was worried about you.” Phoenix bit out. “I’m not going to blackmail you just so I can win a stupid trophy.”

Edgeworth gave him a look of complete disbelief. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” He raised an eyebrow. “And you’re forgetting the prize money. I’m sure that had nothing to do with your decision to enter.” The last sentence was spoken with an alarming amount of sarcasm. It only served to raise Phoenix’s hackles further.

“I don’t care about any of that!” Phoenix shouted. “It—it just didn’t feel right, leaving you to face this alone.”

“Excuse me if I don’t believe that.” Edgeworth retorted. His responses were starting to gain an angry edge of their own.

They were going nowhere with this.

“Fine. Whatever.” Phoenix grumbled, moving to leave the room. “I’m still not going to blackmail you, though.”

The door didn’t slam fast enough to cover up Edgeworth’s harsh “See that you don’t.”

~

Phoenix headed back to the dining room instead of the Hufflepuff dorms. He’d realized shortly after entering the trophy room that he’d left behind his backpack during the champion selection.

He knew that it was likely that Larry and Maya had taken it back to the dormitory for him, but Phoenix liked having the excuse to check the dining hall anyways. It gave him a little more time before he had to talk to anyone.

He walked inside the dining hall expecting it to be empty. And it mostly was. But there, sitting at their usual table with his backpack in her lap, was Mia.

Phoenix wondered for a second if he could get away with turning right back around and leaving. But Mia had already seen him enter. Also, he kind of needed his backpack. 

“Are you…going to yell at me?” Phoenix asked, slightly wary, as he walked up to the table. “Because, to be honest, I really don’t feel like being yelled at right now.”

“No, I’m not going to yell at you.” Mia said. “At least not right now.” She inclined her head to the table, motioning for Phoenix to take a seat. He took the spot across from her.

“So,” Mia began, “are you okay?”

Phoenix blinked. “What?”

“Phoenix—you’ve just been enlisted for one of the most dangerous traditions in wizard history.” Mia said. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Wait.” He wasn’t sure he was hearing correctly. “Is this some weird segue into a lecture?” 

Mia smirked. “I’m not your mother, Phoenix. I’m your friend.” Then she gave a short sigh. “And right now, I’m worried about you.”

“You’re really not mad?” Phoenix asked before he could stop himself.

“I’m upset, not mad. There’s a difference.” She replied. “And I figured you’d try to enter the tournament no matter what I said.”

Phoenix smiled sheepishly. “Am I that obvious?”

Mia raised both of her eyebrows and stared at him. Phoenix would take that as a ‘yes’.

Then Mia smiled, soft and small. “You’re a good friend Phoenix.” She paused. “A better one than some people deserve.”

“He deserves it.” Phoenix replied. He was irritated with Edgeworth right now, but that didn’t mean he was ready to give up.

Mia looked at him, as if she was trying to figure out whether or not he meant it. He did.

“I hope you’re right.” Mia said eventually. “But if I’m going to help you get through this, then—”

“You’re going to help me?” Phoenix hadn’t expected that, especially with how much Mia hated the Triwizard Tournament.

Mia looked at him like he was spouting nonsense. “Of course I’m going to help you. We all are. What kind of friends would we be if we let you face this by yourself?”

A tension Phoenix didn’t even know he had lifted off at her words. The real implications of being a champion, and what that would mean for him, were starting to sink in. Knowing that his friends were there to support him helped alleviate the pressure he felt slowly descending on him.

“And because I’m on your side, I can’t afford to trust them.” Mia said.

“Them?” Phoenix asked.

"Franziska and Edgeworth—von Karma's kids." Mia clarified. "Haven't you noticed Franziska hanging around Maya lately?"

Phoenix nodded. He did sort of introduce them, after all. 

"I don't know if it's genuine or if it's some attempt to get in good with the Fey name." Mia said. "And Maya won't listen to me—she refuses to entertain the possibility that a friend could have ulterior motives. She's like you. She expects the best from people." Mia shook her head. "But I can't afford to think like that. Especially now that you and her brother are officially competing against each other."

"Mia?" Phoenix was a little concerned. How long had Mia been worrying about this?

"Durmstrang has a dark reputation for a reason, Phoenix." Mia lowered her voice. "And the rumors have only gotten worse under von Karma's guidance. We can't be sure they'll be willing to play fairly."

Phoenix wanted to protest, but he didn't have anything to counter her. He wanted to trust Edgeworth, but the reality was that Phoenix hadn't talked to him in years. They didn't know each other that well anymore. And Phoenix had barely spoken to Franziska. He had no idea what sort of person she was. 

"I know you don't want to hear this." Mia smiled apologetically. "But I can't let you walk into this blindly. It's only practical that we don't trust these people. I’m not going to, at least."

"Yeah, I get what you're saying." Phoenix sighed. 

It was a sobering thought. But Phoenix knew Mia had a point. She only wanted to protect him. 

Mia nodded and pushed Phoenix's backpack towards him. 

"You still haven't answered my question, you know." Mia said before Phoenix could leave. "Are you alright?"

Phoenix paused, then gave Mia a small and grateful smile. "I'll let you know if I need anything."

Mia nodded, accepting the answer, and Phoenix left. 

It struck Phoenix on the way back to the Common Room that Edgeworth was probably thinking along the same lines as Mia. What was that saying again? _Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors think with their hearts, while Ravenclaws and Slytherins think with their brains._

Objectively, it made sense for Edgeworth not to trust him. One word from Phoenix, and his life was basically ruined. Not that Phoenix would ever do such a thing. But Edgeworth didn't know that, not for sure. 

Edgeworth wouldn't be comforted no matter how many times Phoenix reassured him—not with the state of their current relationship. Right now it was Phoenix who held all the power. It was an uncomfortable feeling for Phoenix. He couldn’t imagine how it made Edgeworth feel. 

If they were going to talk—really talk—then Phoenix had to even the playing field. 

The idea came to him all at once the moment he saw Maya waiting for him in the Common Room. 

"Hey Nick!" Maya waved. "My sister didn't chew you out too much, I hope."

"She actually wasn't that bad, surprisingly." Phoenix replied, siting besides Maya on the couch.

Maya's eyebrows scrunched up. "Really?" Maya pouted. "She's been weird about a few things lately."

Maya shook her head before Phoenix could reply. "And you!" Maya suddenly yelled, punching Phoenix lightly in the arm. "Why didn't you tell me you were trying for the tournament?!"

Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah...sorry about that. I wasn't really expecting to get picked."

"But you did!" Maya replied. "Isn't it exciting? I bet you'll kick the other two's butts!"

"Thanks, Maya." Phoenix chuckled. "Hey," he said, changing the subject, "do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Sure." Maya agreed automatically.

"You've been talking to Franziska von Karma, right?" He asked.

Maya nodded, though she looked a little wary. 

"Her and the other Durmstrang students are staying on that boat out on the lake, yeah? Do you think you could ask Franziska where Edgeworth's room is?" Phoenix asked.

Maya looked surprised, as if she had been expecting something else. Then she thought over the request. 

"...I'm sorry Nick," Maya frowned, "I don't think I can do that." She pulled on one of her hair strands self-consciously. "I don't want Franziska to think I'm only hanging out with her because of her brother." 

"It's already happened to her a few times." Maya explained when she saw Phoenix's confused expression. "She told me that Edgeworth is always really, um, popular."

"Oh, okay." Phoenix said, already trying to figure out if there was a different way he could get that information. 

"But," Maya continued, "Franziska did tell me that all of their rooms have a window facing the lake. If that helps?" 

"That works..." Phoenix muttered to himself. "Thanks, Maya!" 

He grabbed his backpack and ran up to his room. 

"Wait, why do you want to know where his room is anyways?" Maya called out as he left. 

~ 

It took Phoenix a while to decide on what to write. 

Eventually, he figured it was better to be as simple and concise as possible. That way he could make sure Edgeworth read the whole thing before throwing it away. Letter in hand, Phoenix walked outside of the Hufflepuff dormitories and the Common Room. It was late enough that most people were inside their dorms, but not late enough for it to be strange that Phoenix was out. 

Phoenix walked all the way out of Hogwarts castle. He went somewhere that didn’t have anyone nearby, then ducked behind a bush just in case. 

It was only then that he felt safe enough to change. 

A short moment passed in which Phoenix turned from a human student into his literal bird namesake. 

Letter now in his beak, Phoenix experimentally flapped his wings. It had been about three weeks since he had last used his animagus form, but everything seemed to be in working order.

Phoenix was glad it wasn't raining. He didn't think he was as fiery as real phoenixes, but water still annoyed him. It also would've stained the letter.

Phoenix flew up until the air, heading towards the Durmstrang ship. He didn't have a specific idea of where Edgeworth's room was but, based on what Maya said, he could find it by checking all the windows. It was a little creepy, sure, but it'd get job done. 

Phoenix tried not to linger too long by the windows once he confirmed they weren't Edgeworth's room. Partially because he wanted to be as un-stalker-y as possible, and partially because he didn't want to chance being spotted. 

Phoenixes weren't the most common of creatures, even at Hogwarts. True, seeing one wasn't completely unlikely. But Phoenix didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention.

After the eight window he found Edgeworth. 

He was reading at his desk, still in his school uniform. There were two thermoses by him, one green and one pink. Phoenix watched as Edgeworth drank the entirety of the green thermos, immediately chasing it down with a sip from the pink one. 

Now that he was sure he had the right room, Phoenix used his beak to knock on the glass. It took three tries until Edgeworth noticed the noise. It didn’t take long for him to get up and open the window. 

Edgeworth looked surprised when he saw the bird waiting for him. He’d probably been expecting an owl.

Phoenix nudged his head towards Edgeworth’s hand, impatient for him to read the letter. Edgeworth recognized the gesture, taking the paper from his beak tentatively. Phoenix watched closely as he read it.

_'Miles,_

_It's me._

_I'm not registered._

_-Phoenix'_

He could tell the moment Edgeworth understood. He looked back at Phoenix with wide eyes.

“You’re an animagus?” He asked, voice low enough to be a whisper.

Phoenix chirped in affirmation. 

“I don’t understand.” Edgeworth said. His voice was slightly shaky, and he gripped the letter hard enough that it was starting to wrinkle. “Why are you telling me this?” Phoenix couldn’t answer that in his current state. He hopped further into the room and onto Edgeworth’s desk. Then he faced Edgeworth and motioned his head to the floor in an attempt to ask permission to change.

It took a few more pointed wing flaps for Edgeworth to understand, but when he did he gave a small nod. That was invitation enough.

Phoenix stretched out his re-acquired arms. He definitely couldn’t do that with his wings. It was always weird using the two different set of limbs right after the other. Maybe he’d get used to it when he was older. It hadn’t even been a year yet since he’d first managed to transform.

“We’re even now.” Phoenix shrugged.

Edgeworth looked speechless.

“I mean,” Phoenix explained, “you could out me as an animagus if I—”

“I get it.” Edgeworth interjected. Then he rubbed his forehead, as if pained. “But you…you idiot! Why in Merlin’s name are you not registered?” He snapped. “You could be sent to Azkaban over this!”

“I’m going to, eventually.” Phoenix replied. “I’m too young right now. If I register, they’re going to want to know why I went to all that effort.” It was common knowledge how intense and time-consuming becoming an animagus was. Most people didn’t bother with it unless they had a good reason. Especially if they were still in school.

Edgeworth smoothed out the crumpled letter in his hands. He looked at the paper instead of Phoenix when he asked, “And why did you?”

“You know why.” Phoenix said, wearing a small lopsided smile. Hopefully that didn’t sound accusing. He didn’t mean it that way. It was just the truth.

The awkward tension in the room only got worse as they both stood there quietly.

“Is this all you came to tell me?” Edgeworth asked weakly.

“Yeah, I guess.” Phoenix shrugged. “This way you won’t have to panic about me blackmailing you, since you have equal dirt on me.”

“I wasn’t panicking.” Edgeworth muttered, though it was half-hearted.

“Sure, sure.” Phoenix said, trying to keep a straight face. It didn’t go unnoticed, judging by the look Edgeworth gave him.

A quietly whispered “ _Incendio_ ,” almost made Phoenix startle. But it was just Edgeworth, lighting the letter on fire. 

“It wouldn’t be good if someone else found this.” Edgeworth explained. He held the paper away from himself as it slowly turned to ash.

“Oh, thanks.” Phoenix replied. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Edgeworth scoffed, but there was little vitriol behind it.

Edgeworth stubbornly kept his attention on the burning letter, and Phoenix shuffled around awkwardly. It felt like he’d overstayed his welcome. But their conversation didn’t feel finished, either. That seemed to be a running theme with their interactions, Phoenix had noticed. Like they were always leaving something unsaid. It was stressful.

“I know things can’t be the way they used to be. I get that.” Phoenix said, soft and wistful. That, at least, made Edgeworth look at him.

“But…I don’t want you to be scared of me.” _I wish you would talk to me_ , Phoenix thought but didn’t say. Now didn’t seem like a good time. “I’ll head out now.”

Phoenix changed then, hopping up to window edge in preparation to fly back home.

“Phoenix.” Edgeworth said before he could jump out. “I…I appreciate it.”

Phoenix heard the soft sound of the window closing after he flew into the sky.

Edgeworth’s using his first name again warmed Phoenix better than the tiny flames sparking off his feather tips. That warmth followed him all the way back into Hogwart’s castle, and stayed even after he changed back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It actually took me a while to decide whether or not it was possible for someone's animagus to be a phoenix. Eventually I decided it had to be, because 1) magical animals are probably just considered animals in the wizard world, and 2) it's been highly implied in the Harry Potter universe that your patronus is what your animagus would be, and Dumbledore had a phoenix patronus. Therefore, it's possible for someone's animagus to be a phoenix. It's personally a headcanon of mine that part of the long-process of turning into animagus is casting a Patronus, which will decide what you turn into. also how could I resist I mean really.
> 
> ANYWAYS, my update schedule will be a new chapter every two weeks. That tends to be my natural pace, though I might post it earlier then that. The two weeks exists mostly to give me time in case Things Happen.


	3. Chapter 3

Phoenix had never been more popular in his life.

It happened incredibly quickly after the champion selection—nearly overnight, in fact. Phoenix went from being just another random student into Hogwarts’s champion. People he’d never spoken to now smiled and greeted him as he passed by, calling him by name and congratulating him on the win.

A few days after the selection, Larry drew a design meant to cheer him on. ‘PHOENIX—HE’LL RISE ABOVE THE REST’, it read in bright colors. Phoenix had thought it was sweet, if a bit cheesy. But, surprisingly, it quickly spread throughout the school. Buttons, patches, and even small flags bearing the design started to appear on students from every house. It was sort of flattering, but a bit unsettling.

Phoenix knew it didn’t have much to do with him, not really. It was the result of having accidentally become the symbol for Hogwarts. After all, the outer-school rivalries were nothing to shake your head at. 

It did sort of help that the Beauxbaton students’ had something similar. They had gotten into the habit of wearing Celeste’s name stitched onto the background of their school’s colors. Those types of merchandise weren’t as common among the Durmstrang students. From what Phoenix could gather, the general attitude among them was that they were above that sort of thing. 

Phoenix privately wished his peers could’ve had that sort of attitude. It would’ve made things less embarrassing for him, at least. 

He didn’t blame Larry or anything. Merchandise with his face or name was to be expected, really. And Larry was genuinely supportive of him, instead of just capitalizing on his sudden popularity.

Well, Larry _mostly_ wasn’t capitalizing on it. 

“It’s perfect!” Larry exclaimed suddenly at breakfast, a few days after seeing his design kick off. “I’ll be, like, your manager.”

This had been said without any previous context. So, of course, Phoenix felt obligated to stop eating his cereal and shoot Larry a questioning look.

“Mia, Lana and Ema are all helping you with the studying part of the tournament.” Larry said. 

It was true, though the ‘help’ Mia and Lana were providing him was rather limited. They did still have to study for their N.E.W.Ts after all. But now he was forced to join in on some of their study sessions. And they both made sure that he saw whenever they came across something helpful, like a charm or past tournament events. But it was Ema who had been put in charge of making sure he actually learned them. She, unfortunately, had plenty of time to bug him about getting ready for the first task.

“And?” Phoenix asked. Larry was probably leading up to a point. But then again, you never knew for sure with Larry.

“And Maya’s spying on the enemy.” Larry said, referencing the fact that Maya and Franziska were still talking to each other. Their weird sort-of beginning friendship was kind of a sensitive subject among their friend group.

Maya glared at him, and Larry immediately backed off. “I mean, uh, anyways—what I’m saying is that I want to help too! So I was thinking, I can be in charge of your public image, Nick!” Larry explained. “Any questions, admirers, or presents for our champion will have to go through me first.” Then Larry smiled in a way that he probably thought was subtle, but wasn’t.

“So,” Ema asked dryly, “you basically want to redirect all the attention Phoenix is getting to you?”

“Yeah!” Larry replied, completely unashamed. Or, more likely, not realizing that such a thing was something he could possibly be ashamed of.

Phoenix sighed deeply. “Honestly, Larry, go ahead. Take as much attention as you want.”

“Thanks man!” Larry smiled and slapped Phoenix on the back, the force almost making him spit out his cereal.

“You’re welcome, I guess.” Phoenix starred at the bits of milk that now stained his robes.

“What’s wrong, Phoenix?” Mia smirked, “Is the champion not enjoying his new-found popularity?”

Phoenix stuck his tongue out in answer. Mia put a hand to her chest in mocked outrage. “Is that any way for Hogwarts’s champion to act?”

“It is quite a responsibility.” Lana added. She only sounded half-joking. It was a little too true to be entirely funny. Phoenix groaned in response. He didn’t need to be reminded about how many people were counting on him to win.

Phoenix wondered again why the Goblet had chosen him. He didn’t personally care about winning. Everyone else? Well, Phoenix got the feeling that he’d be the entire school’s disappointment if he didn’t do at least semi-well in the trials.

 _Not that there’s any backing out of this_ , Phoenix contemplated as he watched his cereal get increasingly soggier. Entering your name into the Goblet was like signing a contract. And, now that he’d been chosen, he’d have to fulfill those terms to the very end.

“Well,” Maya suddenly chirped, “I gotta head out.” She grabbed one more piece of toast as she stood up from their table.

“Where are you going?” Mia asked, her forehead creased in confusion. “Your classes don’t start for another twenty minutes.”

Maya glanced to the side and took a bite of her toast. “’promised Frannie I’d show her the owlery.” She muffled out in between bits of bread.

Mia frowned but said nothing.

Maya shuffled around a bit before wiping the breadcrumbs and butter off her mouth. 

“Told you she was spying on the enemy.” Larry whispered not-all-that-quietly to Phoenix. Phoenix resisted the urge to groan again.

Maya overheard, and quickly narrowed her eyes at Larry. “For the last time—it’s not spying or fraternizing or whatever. It’s called being nice. Some of us can do that, you know.” Maya sniffed in annoyance. Then she left their table before anyone could reply. 

Phoenix tried very hard not to stare at Mia as she sighed, exhausted. Mia and Maya weren’t out right fighting, but the issue of Franziska was definitely causing tension between the two of them. Phoenix felt sort of guilty about it, since it did have a little to do with him. Mia probably wouldn’t be so worried about Franziska hanging around Maya if he hadn’t been named champion.

But, as it was, it did look a little suspicious that the daughter of the Durmstrang headmaster and the sister of the Durmstrang champion was seeking out Maya—who was well-known for being one of Phoenix’s closest friends. Phoenix understood why Mia was wary. She had explained it to him too, and he’d even admitted that she had a point.

But Maya wasn’t willing to ignore Franziska because of any of that. And, truthfully, Phoenix couldn’t blame her either. At least, not without looking like a giant hypocrite.

After all, Mia had also told Phoenix not to trust Edgeworth. And what had Phoenix immediately done? He’d gone and told Edgeworth his biggest secret—something he hadn’t told anyone else. A secret that could land him in Azkaban.

Mia would kill him if she ever found out.

Not that Phoenix regretted it. No matter what anybody said, he trusted Edgeworth not to tell on him. Even if it was only out of his own self-interest. It still counted. Probably.

Anyways, what else was Phoenix supposed to do? How could he even talk to Edgeworth if he’d been constantly afraid that Phoenix would blackmail him? That was no way to rekindle a friendship.

And it had worked! Sort of. Edgeworth wasn’t ignoring him anymore. He wasn’t being incredibly chatty either, but at least he responded to greetings now. It was an improvement. 

They’d work on it. For now, at least, Phoenix just had to make sure they both survived the tournament. 

~

If Phoenix had thought studying for his classes was bad, studying for the tournament was even worse. At least with his classes he generally knew what he was studying _for_. The Triwizard trials? Who knew what would happen! Looking up past events only helped so much.

Which meant Phoenix had to practically be prepared for anything. It was a pain.

If Phoenix was in charge, he would have just winged it. He always preformed the best when his plans were more of a suggestion than an outline.

But his friends ( _especially_ Mia and Lana, the mother hens) refused to let him enter the trials blind. So, here he was again, using what little bit of free time he had to review the entirety of his Hogwarts education with Ema in the library. 

“Okay, so what’s a type of magic you can use to breathe underwater?” Ema asked.

Phoenix was currently face down on their study table.

“What do you get out of this, Ema?” Phoenix whimpered. “The satisfaction of seeing me suffer?”

“Yup.” Ema snorted. “That, and the joy of not seeing you die a horribly violent death.” She said lightly. “Now stop trying to wriggle out of this.”

Phoenix grumbled. The amount of willpower it took to force his head off of the table had to qualify as a legendary feat in itself.

“Now answer the question.” Ema said.

“The Bubble-head charm, I guess.” Phoenix murmured into his palm. He was so bored of this. They’d been going at it for nearly an hour already. And what was the point of that question anyways? It didn’t seem likely that they’d re-use one of their challenges, especially one that was only about a decade old.

But Ema nodded and seemed content with the answer, scanning through her notes for another question to ask.

Phoenix used the little time he had left before he had to think again to look around the room. They were in what was arguably the largest area of the library, in terms of empty space at least, located near the entrance. Going in deeper was probably more useful, but meant that they risked being late to their next class. And the librarian, Sister Bikini, was less harsh about students making noise in this area. 

There were only a few other people present. Most students were in class or, unlike Phoenix, enjoying their time elsewhere. 

A couple of desks away from them was a second-year Hufflepuff doing homework. He looked vaguely familiar to Phoenix, in a way that made him think that he was someone he should recognize. But, then again, it was a fellow Hufflepuff. And Phoenix had been approached by a bunch of people lately, especially the younger students, who wanted to let him know that they were rooting for him. It was kind of cute, really.

The kid wasn’t looking at him anyways, so it didn’t matter that Phoenix couldn’t remember who he was.

“What is the most effective form of defense against a Boggart?” Ema asked, forcing Phoenix back into studying. 

“ _Riddikulus_.” At least this one was easy. Ugh, Phoenix hated boggarts though. They were so annoying. And he could never predict what form they would take. Apparently the thing that Phoenix’s subconscious feared the most was subject to change based on his mood. It meant that he had to reinvent the charm each time. It was such a hassle.

“You don’t think they could get their hands on a basilisk, do you?” Ema started murmuring. She was probably getting a little worn down as well. “I don’t see where’d they’d get one…”

Whatever Phoenix would’ve said in reply was quickly forgotten when he’d noticed Edgeworth had entered the library, Franziska walking alongside him.

Phoenix gave a small smile when Edgeworth caught him looking. He was about to wave, but then thought better of it. Edgeworth was like a weird cat. If you seemed too friendly, he got spooked and ran away.

Phoenix was rewarded with a small acknowledging nod. He had to admit that it was pretty satisfying. That was another way that Edgeworth was like a cat, he guessed. You felt vaguely superior when he paid special attention to you.

Phoenix should stop comparing him to cats. It was probably in bad taste.

Ema was still rambling about snakes or something. “Maybe they have some of the teeth left? Could they use that? Why would they use that?” Now and then Ema got like this, where she’d spiral on a specific problem and have a hard time getting past it.

“Hey, Ema.” Phoenix gently interrupted. “Are you sure you don’t want a break? I appreciate what you’re doing, really. But at this point we’re both going to burn ourselves out.”

Ema look at him, sighing so hard that a piece of her hair flipped up into the air. “Maybe you’re right.” She closed her notebook slowly. “I think we can take a break for today.”

Phoenix gave her a quick smile, but both of them were suddenly startled by the loud sound of a chair screeching. They turned to see the second-year that Phoenix had spotted earlier getting up from his table. His black hair had flashed into a startling blue.

 _So that’s why he’d seemed familiar_ , Phoenix realized. It was Teddy Lupin, the Hufflepuff House’s minor celebrity. He wasn’t as recognizable when he didn’t wear one of his brighter hairstyles.

Phoenix wouldn’t have thought anymore about it, since seeing Teddy around wasn’t that strange. Even if he wasn’t usually that rough with the Hogwarts furniture. But then Teddy made a beeline towards Edgeworth and Franziska, who were heading deeper into the library. They stopped walking when Teddy took a pointed stance in front of them.

“You’re Miles Edgeworth, right?” Teddy stated. There was a slight shakiness in his voice, but the second-year titled his chin up defiantly. 

Feeling a wave of unease creeping on his back, Phoenix looked around to see if the librarian, Sister Bikini, was anywhere nearby. But Phoenix couldn’t catch any sight or sign of her.

“Yes.” Edgeworth replied, seemingly unworried. “Is there something you wanted?”

“You’re the one who helped write up that Werewolf Registration Reform, aren’t you?” Teddy asked. Though, like before, it was stated as more of a fact than a question.

Phoenix could see the way Edgeworth’s jaw tightened, but his voice when he answered sounded remarkably calm. “Yes. Now do you have a point, or can we pass?”

Teddy stood his ground, even as Edgeworth continued to glare at him. Phoenix would’ve been impressed if it weren’t for how uneasy he felt.

“My name’s Teddy Lupin. I’m Remus Lupin’s son.” Teddy returned Edgeworth’s look with a scowl of his own. “And my ‘Da didn’t die fighting against the Dark Lord just so people like you could go around and punish werewolves for existing!” Teddy’s voice rose in volume. “My Da’s life was _ruined_ when people found out about who he was. And you—you’re planning on rounding up people like him and exposing them like that? Making them wear ‘identifiers’? Do you even know what that would mean for them?”

Edgeworth looked even tenser than before. “If you had actually read what I proposed—”

“Shut up!” Teddy yelled, tears starting to creep out of his eyes. “I read enough! What you’re trying to do isn’t right. Don’t you feel any guilt at all?”

“Shit.” Phoenix muttered under his breath, debating whether or not he should interrupt. But he, like everyone else in the room, felt unable to break the tension between the two of them. 

“What do you suggest then?” Edgeworth replied, his tone absolutely icy. “Should we allow werewolves to gallivant around without consequence?"

“Not all werewolves are dangerous!” Teddy protested.

“Every werewolf is dangerous.” Edgeworth snapped back. “Every _single_ one has the capability to kill. That’s their natural state during the full moon.”

“How would you know, huh?” Teddy spat. “I bet you’ve never even met an actual werewolf—”

A whipping sound resounded sharply in the air and hit the library carpet. “You will _stop_ this foolish nonsense!” Franziska growled, her wand glowing besides her. “Miles Edgeworth’s father was killed by a werewolf. He has the proper authority on this subject!”

“Franziska!” Edgeworth barked, turning to his sister, disapproval obvious. Franziska scowled but lowered her wand.

 _Okay, this has gone far enough._ Phoenix thought. _Time to break it off_. He moved from his study table and towards the three of them as gradually as he could. This was too intense of a situation to startle any of them into another tirade.

“I—I didn’t…” Teddy stuttered, tears now freely streaming down his face. “That still doesn’t mean you can—can blame all werewolves…” He protested, though his fire had weakened considerably.

Phoenix was almost right beside them when he saw Edgeworth bend down in order to talk directly to Teddy’s face.

“Your father was a good man.” Edgeworth said quietly. His face was eerily blank. “But we all have things we need to claim responsibility for. Werewolf or not, no one is exempt from that.”

“That’s enough, Edgeworth.” Phoenix said. Teddy looked up at him, sniffing loudly. Phoenix tried to give him a comforting smile. “I think we should probably head out now, don’t you?” He asked Teddy, trying to keep his tone soft. It must not have been too bad, since Teddy nodded in affirmation.

Edgeworth didn’t reply, having apparently said all that he wanted to. He stood up, face still expressionless. 

“Let’s go Franziska.” Edgeworth said. “We need to find those texts.” He started walking further into the library without looking back.

Franziska glared at Phoenix and Teddy, giving them a small sneer before following after her brother.

Phoenix turned back over to Ema, who was still sitting at their study table. She nodded at him, silently giving him permission to head off without her. 

“Did you want to go over to the Common Room?” Phoenix asked Teddy. 

Teddy shook his head. “I wanna see my uncle.” Phoenix heard him mutter softly.

“Uncle?” Phoenix asked.

“Hagrid.” Teddy replied. He rubbed at his face, getting rid of some of the wetness on his cheeks.

“Okay, we’ll head over to Professor Hagrid’s shack then.” Phoenix smiled. Together they started walking.

Phoenix tried not to think too hard about how Edgeworth must have been feeling right then.

~

_“Miles,” Phoenix whispered. He repeated his friend’s name until Miles looked up from his book._

_“Yes, Nick?” Miles frowned. He didn’t like being interrupted when he was reading, especially when they were in the library. But Phoenix had been working up the courage to talk to him all day. And, now that there was hardly anyone else around, it seemed like the perfect time to talk._

_“I wanna tell you something.” Phoenix whispered. He tried not to let his nervousness show._

_Miles’ forehead scrunched slightly in confusion, but he replied, “Sure. What is it?”_

_Phoenix pulled at the seams of his robes restlessly. “Do you think we can go somewhere more private?” He asked. “It’s something really important.” Phoenix added._

_All traces of reluctance in Miles disappeared, now that he saw that Phoenix was being serious. “Okay.” Miles said, closing his book decisively. “I know somewhere that might work.”_

_Miles lead the two of them deeper into the library, climbing up one of the moving staircases onto the second floor. Phoenix hadn’t explored the library much, but it didn’t surprise him that Miles knew his way around._

_Eventually they came to a small corner, where there was a cleverly hidden space between the bookcase and the wall. Miles tucked himself into half of it naturally._

_He blushed when he saw Phoenix staring at him curiously._

_“I…sometimes I like being in small spaces. When things get too much.” Miles explained sheepishly. “It’ll be a little crowded, but you can probably fit in too. If this is okay?”_

_Phoenix shrugged and sat down next to his friend. Their elbows were pressed against each other, but it wasn’t uncomfortable or anything._

_“Yeah, this place is good.” Phoenix replied._

_They sat there quietly for a few minutes as Phoenix worked up the courage to say what he wanted to. Miles waited patiently, somehow sensing that Phoenix needed the extra time._

_“You know how, um, some kids used to tease me about being named ‘Nicky’?” Phoenix said, pulling his knees up to his chest. “And how they said it was girl’s name?”_

_Miles nodded._

_“Well, that’s because it is.” Phoenix continued. “It is a girl’s name. Sort of. It’s short for Nicole. It’s what my grandma named me, because that’s what she thought I was: a girl. And then she was gone, and everyone else still called me that but I—I realized I **wasn’t** a girl.” _

_Phoenix tugged his knees tighter against him. “And Nicky, it’s—it is my name, but I’m a boy! I’m not a girl. I **hated** it when they put me in dresses, and-and stuff. But they wouldn’t listen to me. No one listened to me until Professor McGonagall.” Phoenix sniffed, keeping his eyes focused on the tops of his knees. He didn’t dare look at Miles right then. “And I liked it when Larry nicknamed me ‘Nick’, and I don’t want you to stop treating me like I’m a boy, but I wanted to tell you because I think you’re my best friend, and I—” _

_“Nick.” Miles interrupted softly. “It’s okay.”_

_“Really?” Phoenix asked, breathless. “You still think I’m a boy?”_

_Miles nodded. “I believe you.” Miles said, his voice serious and so **sure**._

_Phoenix couldn’t help but start crying. It felt like he was melting—out of relief or happiness or anxiety, or a mixed up combination of them all. The tears streamed freely down his face, and Phoenix put his hand to his mouth to stop any sobs from coming out._

_“…Nick?” Miles whispered. Phoenix saw, out of the corner of his eye, Miles hesitantly place a hand on his shoulder. The pressure was gentle and light, as if Miles was afraid that Phoenix would ask him to take it away at any moment. But it was undeniably there._

_Phoenix knew how hard it was for Miles to reach out to people, especially physically. The trust in the gesture helped to settle him back to reality._

_“I’m okay.” Phoenix breathed out. He still felt shaky—like his body hadn’t registered yet that Miles accepted him. But the flood of tears had slowed down. “I’m…thanks Miles.”_

_Miles’ grip on his shoulder grew firmer. Phoenix shivered, feeling warm and happy._

_“You won’t tell anyone, right?” Phoenix looked at Miles, already knowing the answer._

_Miles nodded, and Phoenix knew that he’d never tell another soul. Not unless Phoenix wanted him to. It was a comforting feeling._

_A moment passed, where Miles looked like he was considering something. Phoenix watched as Miles’ bangs fell softly in front of his eyes. Phoenix had always disliked being called pretty, since it sounded so feminine. But Miles just matched it, somehow. Miles was probably one of the prettiest people Phoenix had ever seen._

_Miles moved his hand from Phoenix’s shoulder._

_“I…” Miles clutched his right arm, shyly biting his lip, “I have a secret too, you know…”_

_“I promise not to tell.” Phoenix whispered. He wondered what kind of secret could make his friend look like that, so nervous and vulnerable. Miles wasn’t the type who got scared easily._

_Miles took a deep breathe. “Okay.” He nodded._

_Then he started to unbutton his robes._

_“Miles?” Phoenix asked, his voice going distressingly high. It was only when he was peeking out through his fingers that Phoenix realized he had instinctively covered his eyes. But Miles wasn’t looking at him—staying focused on his task. It didn’t take him long to pull down the sleeve on his right arm._

_Phoenix’s embarrassment was quickly forgotten as he caught sight of the impressive scars on Miles’ arm. It was like an unconnected oval, marked by spaced out dents. The bottom half of the oval was deeper than the other. Phoenix couldn’t see the whole thing, since it took up the majority of Miles’ arm. The scars looked old, but had the pinkness of something more recent. More interestingly, Phoenix thought he could see a near-silver tint along the edges._

_“Wow.” Phoenix gasped. His hands dropped to his lap as he leaned towards Miles to get a better look. “What’s that?”_

_“It’s a bite.” Miles whispered. “A—a werewolf bite.”_

_Phoenix eyes widened. “Werewolves are real?”_

_Miles nodded, quickly pulling his shirt and robes back into place. He avoided Phoenix’s eyes, and his face was pale._

_Phoenix got the feeling like he was missing something. He’d felt that a lot since finding out he was a wizard. Even after learning more and more about the wizarding world, Phoenix knew there were some things that carried a context he hadn’t grown up with. This felt like one of those times._

_But Phoenix didn’t care what werewolf bites meant in the magical world. Miles was his friend, probably his very best friend, and he didn’t like the queasy expression Miles currently wore._

_“Did it hurt?” Phoenix asked, sympathetic. It was covered up now, but the bite had seemed really deep._

_Miles looked timidly at him from behind his bangs. “It happened when I was really young, so I don’t remember it. Not clearly, anyways. But it hurt a lot.” He bit his lip before talking again. “If I don’t take my potions, the transformation hurts too.”_

_“So you really turn into a wolf?” Phoenix asked. He couldn’t help but feel a bit excited at the idea._

_Miles nodded. “It’s…It can be dangerous, though. For other people.” He looked off to the side. “If I don’t take the potions my dad makes, then I could hurt people. Like I was hurt.” He frowned, as if remembering something. “Well, no. The person who bit me did it on purpose. They were someone bad who worked with Voldermort. If I hurt someone, it’d be because I didn’t take my potions…It would be because I wasn’t in control. So it’s different.” Miles closed his hands in and out of fists. “At least that’s what Mr. Lupin told me, after I got bitten. I remember that at least.”_

_“Still.” Miles said, barely loud enough for Phoenix to catch. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”_

_He looked sad again. That’d happen sometimes, where Miles would have a distant and lonely air around him. It always made Phoenix hurt in a specific corner of his chest, and he’d want Miles to smile at him again._

_“Thank you for trusting me, Miles.” Phoenix grabbed Miles' hands where they laid in his lap. “I promise I won’t ever tell anyone. **Ever**.”_

_Miles startled, as if he hadn’t expected Phoenix to still want to touch him. Then he relaxed gradually. Phoenix could feel it in the way Miles’ hands melted against his own. He knew he’d chosen the right thing to say when Miles leaned his head onto Phoenix’s shoulder._

_He thought he could just make out a murmured ‘thank you’ from underneath his chin. Phoenix relaxed his head down into Miles’ hair. It was very soft. They stayed like that, curled close inside their hidden spot in the library, for what felt like hours._

_Phoenix had probably never felt more comfortable in his life._

~

“There ya go, all set!” Professor Hagrid cheered. Teddy Lupin was now wrapped in a large woolen blanket, a cup of some sort of tea or cider placed in his hand.

Teddy took a sip from the cup and muttered ‘thanks’ tiredly. Hagrid smiled and headed into the kitchen, presumably to fetch more treats.

Phoenix stood against the side of Professor Hagrid’s shack, not sure if he was meant to leave yet or not. Maybe he'd try and sneak out. There wasn't really a point in him staying now, right? He'd just made up his mind to slowly creep out the door when Teddy looked directly at him. 

"Was he telling the truth?" Teddy asked. "Did a werewolf really kill his dad?" Phoenix was again struck by how young Teddy was. Had it really been only a few years since Phoenix was that age? It felt longer. 

"Yeah, it's true." Phoenix sighed. 

The DL-6 case was a minor sensation when it broke out. Professor Gregory Edgeworth had been relatively well known—at least in the Ministry. He’d worked there before becoming a potions professor over at Hogwarts. Apparently, he had been a big help in the Ministry Reformation led by Minister Kingsley. Even while working at Hogwarts, he’d spent his free time pushing for more accepting legislations regarding muggle interaction and the treatment of werewolves.

That last bit of information in particular was part of the reason his death caused such a stir. 

Details about the case were hard to get a hold of, as Phoenix had unfortunately discovered for himself. Despite its infamy, there were aspects of what had happened which remained hidden from the public. From what Phoenix had found, the known facts were these: During the summer Gregory Edgeworth and his son had stayed in a family-owned cottage in the country. The week before Gregory’s death, they had been hosting a man named Yanni Yogi, a registered werewolf, who had been under previous suspicions of Death Eater connections (though he had never been officially convicted).

The time Gregory died had been during the night of a full moon. In the morning, Gregory Edgeworth was found dead, his wounds consistent with those of a werewolf attack. His son, Miles Edgeworth, had evidence on him suggesting he’d been hit by a Memory Charm—magic beyond the twelve-year old’s capabilities. The Edgeworth’s family cottage was considerably isolated, so the only people who could have cast the charm were Gregory Edgeworth or Yanni Yogi. And, seeing that Gregory was deceased, Yogi was the more likely perpetrator. This, along with the cause of death being werewolf claws, clearly pointed to Yanni Yogi being the murderer. 

It was the motive behind the killing that was shrouded in the most mystery.

Why had Yanni Yogi killed Gregory Edgeworth, a man who frequently stood up for the rights of his kind? Some argued that it had been an accident, caused by a mistake made in his Wolfsbane potions. But that brought to mind the question of why Miles Edgeworth had been spared—in addition to being hit with _Obliviate_. What had Miles Edgeworth been forced to forget, and why?

Yanni Yogi pleaded innocent of having done any crime, but had been found guilty regardless. He died, just a few years ago, still protesting his innocence from within his cell in Azkaban.

The true reason behind Gregory Edgeworth’s death had never been discovered.

“Ay, sad case that was.” Professor Hagrid frowned. In his hands was a tray of biscuits. “But that don’t give him any right to go and treat people like that.” Teddy silently grabbed a biscuit from the tray, and Hagrid smiled gently at him. “That’s just my opinion, at least.” He huffed. 

“Do ya want one?” Professor Hagrid asked, tilting the tray towards Phoenix. He figured it was polite to take one, and took a bite. He tried not to cringe at how salty it was. 

“Well, um, I guess I’ll be off.” Phoenix said, awkwardly brushing the biscuit crumbs off of his robes.

“Right, right you are.” Hagrid replied. “Well, I guess I’ll see you off then.”

Professor Hagrid led him up to the door of the shack, and Phoenix stepped outside.

“Now, before you go, I wanted to thank ya for bringing Teddy over here.” Hagrid said quietly. “That ‘were a good thing you did.” 

Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck, feeling slightly sheepish. “Oh, it was no problem.”

“It was kind of ya.” Hagrid smiled. Then, a series of things happened. The professor looked from side to side, narrowed his eyes, and then leaned in closer to Phoenix. “Now, don’ go telling anyone I told you this.” He whispered. “But…if I were _you_ , I’d start studying up on ‘me flying creatures.” Hagrid finished this by giving Phoenix a slow and significant wink. It was impossible to miss.

“Um, thanks?” Phoenix said, a little confused.

“You’re welcome lad.” Professor Hagrid chuckled, slapping Phoenix’s back in a way that was probably meant to be light. “Now off ya go!”

Phoenix coughed a bit at the gesture, but managed to catch his breath and give a wave as he walked off the shack’s doorstep.

It took the entire walk back to Hogwarts castle before Phoenix realized he’d been given a hint towards the tournament’s first trial.

~

His first instinct was to tell Mia as soon as he could. Which he did, the very next day after class. Phoenix didn’t bother pretending she wasn’t the brains behind their operations. She looked impressed that he had been able to find out such a good hint, not that he had planned it.

Whatever, it still counted.

“So, the trial clearly has to do with flying somehow.” Mia guessed. Phoenix agreed. He didn’t see why else Professor Hagrid would specify flying animals. It was a little worrying though, since Phoenix didn’t have the best history with animals in general. Magical or not.

Phoenix privately hoped that his status as a bird animagus might help his chances, somehow. He’d never tested it out before, but maybe that would give him an edge somehow? A man could dream.

Mia promised to let Lana and Ema know about the hint, and that they’d try to help him figure out what it meant. Phoenix noticed the deliberate omission of Larry and Maya. It made sense, especially since Phoenix emphasized that he wanted to keep the hint a secret. He really didn’t want Professor Hagrid to get in trouble. And Larry did have a loud mouth.

Maya wasn’t great at secrets either, but Phoenix suspected that keeping her out of the loop had more to do with her friendship with Franziska then with her discretion. 

Phoenix didn’t call Mia out on it though. That wasn’t something he felt like getting into at the moment.

After that had been settled, Phoenix remembered he had to pick up something from the Nurse’s Office. With a quick thanks to Mia he headed off in the direction of the Hospital Wing.

Even after four months it was still exciting, going to pick up his testosterone dosage. Already his voice had started to drop to a lower level. It was nice, since his high voice was something he’d always felt a little insecure about.

Madame Pomfrey was as kind as ever, though she warned him to stay wary of his changing blood pressure levels, like she always did.

It was a relatively easy pick up, providing Phoenix with the testosterone he needed for the next month. He was feeling pretty good about his day, when he unexpectedly ran into Edgeworth nearby the entrance to the Nurse’s Office. 

“Are you okay?” Phoenix asked without thinking. They hadn’t talked since the confrontation with Teddy, and Phoenix was still a bit concerned.

He needn’t have worried, since Edgeworth was evidently feeling well enough to scoff. “I’m fine. I’m just here to pick up some sleeping draughts.”

“Oh, is it for the seasickness?” Phoenix asked. He’d wondered quite a few times how Edgeworth and the other Durmstrang students managed to sleep on that boat of theirs. Phoenix wouldn’t have been able to do it.

Edgeworth stared at him incredulously. 

“What?” Phoenix crossed his arms across his chest defensively. Was that really such a weird question?

Edgeworth rolled his eyes. “What seasickness? The ship doesn’t move that much.” Then Edgeworth, the great git, sent Phoenix a small smug smile. “Or did you forget that we’re harbored on a still lake, and not the sea?”

“Whatever.” Phoenix pursed his lips, defeated. 

Phoenix wondered if he should share the hint Hagrid gave him, but decided against it. No matter how Phoenix looked at it, sharing the information felt like a dick move. Hagrid had given him the hint because of how Phoenix had comforted and helped Teddy—and it was Edgeworth who had upset the younger boy in the first place.

He’d just keep it to himself for now. 

“Really though—are you okay? I mean, with the whole Teddy thing…” Phoenix stepped closer, lowering his voice. There wasn’t anyone else in the hallway with them, but it was best not to draw attention.

“Wright.” Edgeworth sighed. “I’m not going to be driven to tears because some second-year read a propaganda piece about me.” His eyes slid to the side. “Though no, I did not enjoy being talked down to by a twelve year old.” He paused then, and muttered quietly, “As if I’m not well-aware of the prejudice against werewolves.” 

Phoenix wondered if it was a good idea to say what he wanted to. But, well, hadn’t he been waiting all this time to talk to Edgeworth? This was part of what he’d been preparing for, after all. “Is it really propaganda, though?” Phoenix asked, his tone making it clear that he thought Teddy had a point.

Edgeworth glared at him. “The werewolf registry has been in existence for centuries. And I resent the implication that we would ‘round up’ werewolves.” Phoenix had never seen someone use the parenthetical gestures so stoically. “Not to mention that the identifiers I suggested,” Edgeworth continued, “wouldn’t expose werewolves to the public. If he had bothered to read my proposal, instead of some—some second hand tabloid, he would’ve read about how the markers would exclusively be known by the ministry workers in the Werewolf Department. Not to mention,” Edgeworth voice was laced with derision, “the identifiers themselves would only be put into use if their wearers hadn’t been recorded as having taken their Wolfsbane potions.”

“Okay, okay.” Phoenix placed his hands palms up in deference. “They got that part wrong, I know. I read your proposal thing.”

“Then what’s your point?” Edgeworth snapped.

Phoenix, expression otherwise calm, raised both of his eyebrows. “I’m a little more concerned about the whole ‘unregistered werewolves being harshly punished’ part.” He waited to see if that made Edgeworth entered into another rant. When it didn’t, Phoenix pressed on. “You said it yourself—the Werewolf Registry has been around for centuries. But it’s completely outdated. Hardly anyone is actually on it! And little wonder too, with how bad werewolf prejudice has been over the years. Who would want that on their official records?”

Phoenix could see Edgeworth becoming annoyed again, so he tried to say his next point more gently. “I’ve just been thinking…Wouldn’t it be better to have a grace period of some kind? After your proposal gets implemented, I mean. Then people who weren’t registered could do it without any consequence, seeing as there’s better policies in place.”

Phoenix could see the moment where Edgeworth started to take his words seriously. A wrinkle appeared in his forehead, just as it used to whenever Miles had come across a homework problem he hadn’t expected. 

“…Refusing to register is unlawful.” Edgeworth said eventually. “And a von Karma can’t abide those who break the law, no matter the reason.” The phrase sounded rehearsed, as if it was something he’d heard over and over again.

“Aren’t you unregistered?” Phoenix asked, quietly, so that there was no chance a passerby could hear him.

“I’m aware of that, yes.” Edgeworth bit out in a strained voice, just as soft as his own. “After I have my proposal implemented I plan to turn myself in freely, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“What?” Phoenix gasped, volume rising unconsciously for a moment. “Why the hell would you do that?” He asked, lowering his voice again. Who would create a legislation that ensured they’d be sent to Azkaban? Especially when that could be avoided by simply adding a registry grace period, like Phoenix had suggested?

“I don’t have time for this.” Edgeworth scoffed, getting ready to head back towards the Nurse’s Office. Phoenix grabbed a hold of his arm before he could turn himself fully away.

“Edgeworth.” Phoenix whispered, leaning in closer. “You’re not _seriously_ going to ruin your life over some dumb policy of your mentor’s, are you?” 

Edgeworth’s face abruptly closed off. “That’s none of your business.” He ripped his arm out of Phoenix’s grip. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere I have to be.”

Phoenix couldn’t do anything but watch Edgeworth walk away, that icy and distant expression back in place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok you can’t convince me that Hagrid wasn’t given a new wand and the title of professor after Tom Riddle’s deeds were exposed and Voldemort was defeated. I refuse to hear anything different. The reason why Harry refers to him as Hagrid in the epilogue is out of habit, and because everyone in his family considers him their uncle (which includes Teddy). You Can't Change My Mind.
> 
> Also, I’m not sure how relevant this is at this point? But I thought I should mention that I always write Edgeworth as autistic. If that helps to explain how I sometimes characterize him. Also, a reminder that I don’t use 'Nick' or 'Nicky' to refer to Phoenix in flashback scenes narration, even though he didn't go by Phoenix yet. 
> 
> Next chapter is the first tournament event!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this is a couple days late, I've been a little busy with the holidays. Anyways, here's the first trial! I hope you all enjoy it! I'm pretty excited for the next few chapters.

Phoenix resisted the urge to adjust his sports bra for what must have been the fortieth time. It wasn’t like it was out of place or anything, he knew that. He’d only checked a few minutes ago. Phoenix just wanted to do something with his hands. So instead he looked over his wand again. It was working fine, same as it’d been the last time he’d checked.

How long were the headmasters going to force them to stay in this stuffy tent? Phoenix knew they were setting up the first trial outside, and that he and the other champions weren’t allowed to go out yet. But he wanted to get started already. Phoenix was good at action. Waiting? Not so much.

Phoenix caught himself tugging on his sports bra’s waistband through his robes again and almost cursed. He had to stop messing with it! It’d been a while since Phoenix had worn a sports bra, which was probably why it felt a little weird. His binder served him well enough on most days, and when he needed a break from it he usually just opted not to wear anything. The only time he wore sports bras was when he knew he’d be doing something active. Which wasn’t too often.

But the Triwizard Tournament trials? He definitely needed to be physically prepared for that. Sure, Phoenix would prefer to wear his binder. But it really wasn’t worth it if he ended up out of breath, or worse—breaking a rib. Past experience had taught him that lesson the hard way. So sports bra it was.

At least he wasn’t going into the trial completely blind, Phoenix figured. Following Hagrid’s hint, he and Ema had done as much review on flying creatures as they could. Phoenix had no idea how it would actually play into the tournament, but it was better than nothing.

Celeste and Edgeworth seemed a lot calmer than he felt, but whatever. Then again, Phoenix thought Celeste was tapping her fingers a little more anxiously than usual.

Edgeworth didn’t look at either of them, his eyes narrowed at a spot on the ground like it had personally insulted him. 

How long had they been waiting here? Thirty, forty minutes? They couldn’t hear anything going on outside, presumably because of some silencing spell. The only thing any of them knew so far was that they were waiting to enter the Quidditch field. What would be waiting for them in there was anyone’s guess.

(Phoenix hoped it wouldn’t be dragons. They wouldn’t do that trick again, right? But dragons were a type of flying creature…Please, don’t let it be dragons.)

Phoenix almost jumped into the air when the tent flap opened suddenly, revealing the entering figures of the three headmasters. Phoenix expected an announcement of some type, but instead they headed towards their respective champions.

“Feeling ready, Mr. Wright?” Professor McGonagall asked, smiling slightly.

“As ready as I’m going to be, I guess.” Phoenix replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’ll only be a few minutes now.” McGonagall said. “We just came in to check on you.” She glanced around the tent, looking at the other champions and their headmasters, before moving her attention back on Phoenix. “We’ll head back outside and remove the Silencing Charm on the tent. When you hear the bell, you three will enter the field.”

“Oh, okay.” He replied. Phoenix sensed that McGonagall had done what she’d come here to do. So, before she left, he figured he might as well try and see if he couldn’t get any hints from her about the upcoming trail. “Um…any advice?” Phoenix asked.

Professor McGonagall just smiled. “I’m sure you’ll do your best.” She said gently, laying a hand on Phoenix’s shoulder before turning to leave. She was the first to exit the tent, Professor Oldbag following her out shortly.

Professor von Karma was the last to go. He stayed for a few more minutes, talking to Edgeworth in a voice too low for Phoenix to hear. Then the Professor turned to leave, and there was an intense second of eye contact between him and Phoenix on his way out. The look in his eyes was one of pure disdain, and Phoenix had to resist the urge to return the glare. It was over quickly, and the three champions were left alone in the tent again.

Phoenix was starting to _really_ not like that von Karma guy. And for more than just his bad manners.

_The weird sort-of fight with Edgeworth in front of the Hospital Wing had left Phoenix feeling out-of-sorts. He walked over to the Hufflepuff Common Room without any idea of what he should do now. If there was anything he could do._

_There was something, probably multiple somethings, going on with Edgeworth that he wasn’t telling Phoenix. It made it hard for him to figure out how he could help. Phoenix didn’t think they were really at the point where Edgeworth would accept his help, even if he did offer it._

_It was frustrating, and kind of depressing, but there wasn’t anything Phoenix could do about it. At least, not yet._

_That was the line of thought he was stuck on when he entered the common room. He’d originally been planning to head up to his dorm room and sulk in his bed for a little bit, but then he spotted Maya._

_She was sitting in one of the armchairs, a book in her hands._

_Seeing her cheered him up a little bit. Maya tended to have that effect on people._

_It also made him want to talk to her, to try and get some of the weird thoughts out of his head._

_He couldn’t tell her why exactly he and Edgeworth had been fighting, not without risking Edgeworth’s secret. But there was something he’d been meaning to talk to her about, and his and Edgeworth’s conversation had brought it back to the forefront of his mind._

_Besides, it’d been a while since it was just him and Maya talking. It felt like they hadn’t done that since after the exchange students had arrived. Part of that was his fault, he knew. He’d been busy with the whole Tournament thing. But that didn’t mean Maya wasn’t his friend anymore._

_She might need someone to talk to too, Phoenix figured. Especially with the weird tension between her and Mia about the whole Franziska thing. Phoenix knew she had other people, but he didn’t want Maya to think that she couldn’t talk to him too._

_“Hey Maya.” Phoenix said, leaning slightly against the edge of her armchair._

_Maya glanced up at him, dog earring the page she’d been reading. “Hey Nick! What’s up?”_

_“Nothing much, I guess.” Phoenix shrugged. “It’s just…could I talk to you about something?”_

_Maya frowned slightly before nodding. “Sure.” She scooted over in her armchair, leaving some space. It wasn’t enough for Phoenix to sit next to her on the chair, but it was enough for him to hop onto the armchair bench and put his feet there._

_It meant that they were close enough to talk semi-privately, though there wasn’t a lot of people in the common room with them anyways._

_“I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Phoenix said. “Don’t get me wrong…but why do you hang out with Franziska?”_

_Maya stiffened, expecting another lecture in the style of Mia, so Phoenix quickly continued. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing, really.” He said, putting his hands out in a placating way. “It’s just, I don’t get it. Again, no offense, but’s she kind of…prickly.”_

_“Edgeworth doesn’t seem like the friendliest guy either.” Maya pointed out, though she had dropped her defensive stance._

_“True.” Phoenix admitted. “But I knew him back when he wasn’t like that.” He paused, remembering how Miles had kept a distance from people even as a first year. “Or, well, he wasn’t as bad.” Phoenix corrected himself. “But you’ve only met Franziska recently.”_

_Maya closed her book quietly, eyes cast down on the red leather cover. She didn’t say anything for a bit, as if thinking over Phoenix’s words, or how she would respond. Then she sighed. “I’m not dumb, you know. Mia thinks I am, but I’m not.”_

_She looked over at Phoenix, her face slightly puckered. “I get that Franziska was only nice to me when we first met because I’m a Fey. I’m used to that.”_

_Phoenix nodded. Being a descendant of the famous Morgan le Fey was nothing to bat an eye at. She was one of the most powerful witches in history, after all. In terms of highly respected bloodlines, the Feys were pretty much near the top._

_“It irritates me,” Maya continued, “when Mia acts like Franziska is this super-secret manipulator trying to get in good with all the powerful families, or use me for information or whatever.” Maya blew a piece of a hair out of her face, forming an expression more deadpanned than Phoenix had ever seen on her. “Franziska couldn’t manipulate her way out of a paper bag.”_

_Phoenix’s eyebrows raised, not having expected that._

_“I’m serious!” Maya protested when she saw Phoenix’s look. Then her expression fell slightly. “Did you really not notice?” She leaned closer to Phoenix so that she could lower her voice. “The first two weeks she was here, Franziska tried really hard to make friends with the kids from the well-known families, both in Hogwarts and Beauxbaton.” Maya glanced slightly to the side. “It was how she was raised, I think. Aunt Morgan used to try to get me to do stuff like that, but I never really listened. And you know my mom was never strict like that.”_

_Maya frowned, and there was a sad and sympathetic edge to her voice. “But Franziska’s…prickly, like you said. It’s hard for her to lie to people, and she’s always upfront about what she thinks. She’s only been able to make two friends so far.” Maya shrugged lightly. “And that’s me and this one older girl in Beauxbaton.”_

_“Oh.” Phoenix said._

_Maya nodded. “Even in Durmstrang, she mostly hangs out with her brother or Kay. Everyone else either stays clear of her or tries to use her to get closer to Edgeworth.”_

_“That…kind of sucks.” Phoenix admitted. He didn’t know Franziska very well, and she’d been arrogant and sort of annoying every time he’d interacted with her. But still, Phoenix didn’t think she deserved any of that. He remembered how it was like, back before he came to Hogwarts, to be a social outlier. At least no one had ever tried to use him to hit on his sibling. (Not that he had an actual sibling, but that was besides the point)._

_“So yeah.” Maya finished. “It annoys me when you guys act like she’s using me or whatever.” She pulled lightly on her hair. “I’m friends with Franziska because she’s lonely, no matter how tough she acts. And she likes me, and listens to me, and doesn’t mean to be a jerk.” Maya smiled as she added, “Most of the time.”_

_“Okay, okay. I get it.” Phoenix said. Really, he wasn’t one to judge when it came to having friends who acted like assholes sometimes. Edgeworth was a prime example of that. “I’m sorry we’ve been giving you shit about it.”_

_“You better be.” Maya sniffed haughtily, and Phoenix almost laughed out loud with how much it reminded him of Franziska. It was even harder to keep a straight face when Maya caught his expression and started giggling herself._

_“Thanks for listening to me.” Maya said, after they’d snickered at each other for a little while. She climbed up and sat on the opposite armchair bench. Phoenix didn’t hesitate to slide into the comfy spot left behind on the chair. He grunted slightly when Maya thumped her feet onto his thigh._

_“It’s no problem.” Phoenix replied. “And I’ll try to get the others to stop giving you so much grief about her.” Maya shuffled her feet playfully into Phoenix’s side in thanks._

_They sat there a bit, enjoying each other’s company, before Phoenix brought up something else that had been on his mind._

_“Do you ever worry about her?” Phoenix asked softly, not looking directly at Maya._

_“What do you mean?” Maya leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees. Phoenix adjusted slightly at the added pressure the movement put on his thigh._

_Phoenix sighed. “I sort of got into a fight with Edgeworth earlier. Part of it was about von Karma, Franziska’s dad.”_

_Maya nodded, encouraging him to go on._

_“I don’t know. I get that his dad’s death probably changed him, but I can’t shake the feeling that staying with that von Karma guy…made things worse, somehow. Edgeworth’s changed so much.” Phoenix frowned. “And I’m not sure it’s a good thing.”_

_“There’s still a bunch of stuff Edgeworth won’t tell me.” Phoenix dragged a hand through his hair. “But Franziska talks to you. I guess I was wondering…what’s your impression of him? Of Professor von Karma?”_

_Maya hummed thoughtfully. Her face looked uncharacteristically serious as she thought over her answer. “Honestly?” Maya replied, dropping her voice to a low whisper. “I don’t think he’s a good person.”_

_Phoenix pulled his knees up into the chair cushion with him, moving so that he could hear Maya better._

_“I already mentioned this,” Maya continued to speak in a soft voice, “but the stuff I’ve heard reminds me of my Aunt Morgan.” She bit her bottom lip. “But it’s more than that.”_

_“I was telling Franziska some of Kurain’s history.” Maya said. “About how Morgan le Fey and her wife, Ami, set up Kurain Village and started our line. And Franziska was confused at first, because she didn’t get it—how two women could have children.”_

_Phoenix knew the story, having spent his summers in Kurain before. It surprised him that Franziska hadn’t heard about it. He’d always thought that the story was well-known by the magic community. Morgan le Fey was pretty famous, after all._

_“So I explained it to her,” Maya went on, “how Ami was like me—a woman who was built differently, who people first thought was a man. And that’s why Kurain is so welcoming to trans people like you and me, Nick, because of how we were founded. So I told her that, and then she got…weird, when I was done.”_

_Phoenix tensed. “She didn’t—”_

_“No.” Maya replied. “No, she told me that she understood—that she still considered me a girl. I was scared it was that too, at first. She made sure I knew it wasn’t, and then she tried explaining it to me. Franziska’s bad at feelings.” Maya chuckled quietly. “But I think I understood the gist of it.”_

_“What was it then?” Phoenix asked._

_Maya gazed downwards. “It was like…like she couldn’t believe that people in Kurain could be so accepting of people like me, or of women being together. But she wanted to. She really wanted to.”_

_Maya started to bite at her nails. Phoenix wasn’t sure if she even realized she was doing it. “And, I guess that’s a little telling in itself, but it’s what happened the next day that makes me…worried, like you said.”_

_Phoenix was starting to get a very bad feeling._

_“I met her after breakfast, like usual.” Maya’s eyes were wet when she looked at him. “She looked awful. Like she hadn’t slept. Her hair was messy and she—she looked so pale. I couldn’t see anything that showed she was sick or…or hurt. But I knew something was off.” Maya flinched slightly as she bit down too deeply into her nails. She put her hands back down to her lap to keep them away from her mouth. “So I asked her what was wrong, but all she would tell me was—‘Papa and I had a disagreement’.” Maya’s impression of Franziska was laughable, though Phoenix didn’t much feel like laughing. “And when I asked her what it was about, she wouldn’t look at me.”_

_“All of it…it just makes me think.” Maya put a hand to her face, expression bordering on fearful. “What did he do to make her look like that?”_

Phoenix watched with narrowed eyes as von Karma left the tent.

No, he did not have a very good impression of Professor von Karma at all.

~

There was a strange sound, like a large bubble popping, and then an orchestra of new noises flooded around them. Phoenix could hear the rumble of a large crowd outside and knew that the bell, the one signaling him to exit the tent, would ring soon.

There was a brief period of time where Phoenix wondered if they wouldn’t recognize the bell when it sounded. 

He needn’t have worried. The sound was unmistakable—a deep low gong that rung from outside and traveled prominently through the Champions’ tent.

Celeste and Edgeworth left immediately at the sound, and Phoenix nearly stumbled as he moved to follow them.

The bright light from outside hit him all at once, and distracted Phoenix from noticing his surroundings right away.

Every single person from Hogwarts was there, plus the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton exchange students. They were all packed tightly into the Quidditch Field stands. Phoenix tried to see if he could spot any of his friends among the crowds, but gave up fairly quickly. There were a few banners with his name emblazoned on it, but the students holding it up were too far away for Phoenix to make out their faces.

Up and placed away from everyone else, positioned high on a decorated stand, were the headmasters and the Ministry Judge.

A quick glance around the field revealed that it was emptier than Phoenix had expected it to be. The only things on the field were a large table filled with junk, a couple of hippogriffs, and a golden statue-thing.

“We’re proud to announce the beginning of the 2010 Triwizard Tournament.” The Judge announced. His voice, which was broadcasted through an enhancer spell, brought the chaotic noise in the stands to a hush.

“For our first trial,” Professor McGonagall said, “the champions must be able to reach the chosen tokens.” McGonagall lifted her hand towards the air. There, nearly two hundred feet above the Quidditch field, were three spaced out golden orbs—the tokens, clearly. Rotating leisurely around each orb was some sort of large ball thing, similar in look to the Bludger balls used in Quidditch.

“The champions must reach these tokens using _only_ the items provided inside this stadium.” McGonagall finished.

Phoenix looked more closely around the field, finally understanding what they were meant to do with the hippogriffs and the table filled with random items. They had to get into the air without ready-made brooms.

 _Prefect, just perfect._ Phoenix thought. At this rate, the first challenge could’ve been the easiest one for him to win. If only he could change into his animagus form…getting up into the air would take about a second. _Too bad I don’t want to go to Azkaban for being unregistered_ , Phoenix reflected glumly.

From the corner of his eye Phoenix thought he saw Edgeworth shoot him an amused smirk. At least someone thought it was funny.

“Getting into the air is only the first step.” Professor von Karma barked. “The champions must then avoid all distractions in order to collect what they need.” The Durmstrang headmaster snapped his fingers then, the sound loud enough that Phoenix could’ve sworn he heard it despite the distance between them. The snap must have signaled something, as multiple waves of flying blue objects began streaming into the Quidditch field. It was hundreds and hundreds of Cornish blue pixies. 

Professor von Karma smiled as the pixies swarmed the field, concentrating themselves mainly around the golden tokens. His smile had the same sardonic tilt as Edgeworth’s. But, while Edgeworth’s smile came off as condescending, von Karma’s oozed with grim enjoyment—as if the man was lucky enough to have stumbled across your mangled corpse.

“The challenge,” Professor Oldbag took over, “will only be completed once the proper token is placed inside the cauldron.” Beauxbaton’s headmistress gestured to the center of the field, where the rounded golden statue sat. It sort of weirdly reminded Phoenix of a fat water feeder for birds.

“The champions will be awarded points based on technique, concentration, and of course,” The Judge said, “how quickly they finish the challenge.” He cleared his throat and then, his voice taking on an even grander tone, announced: “Let the tournament begin in three…two…one!”

Celeste was the first of them to move. She shot off like a light as soon as the countdown was finished, heading towards the table covered in random objects. 

Phoenix debated with himself, wondering if he should risk the hippogriffs or attempt to charm something to fly, like Celeste had clearly chosen to do. On one hand, Charms wasn’t really Phoenix’s best subject. On the other, he was also completely terrible with animals.

He tried to consider all the angles as fast as he could, incredibly aware of everyone in the stands watching him. In the end, after debating with himself internally for less than a minute, he followed Celeste. He _theoretically_ knew a spell to make something fly, so he figured it was worth an attempt before risking his life and limbs with the hippogriffs.

Edgeworth was the only one not to come up to the table. Instead, he calmly walked across the other side of the field—in a direction that was out of the way of the hippogriffs as well. Phoenix wondered if Edgeworth had finally lost it, before deciding he should focus on the challenge at hand instead.

When he looked back up later, unable to quell his curiosity, Phoenix saw Edgeworth making movements as if he were petting something invisible. That was when it hit him. “Threstrals.” Phoenix said out loud. Of course, there were Thestrals on the field. 

“I am _not_ touching those ghoulish creatures.” Phoenix heard Celeste mutter as she dusted off her chosen object, a threadbare carpet. It was probably in reference to the Thestrals. Phoenix knew, from his textbooks, that they were supposed to have a creepy appearance. But he had never directly witnessed a death in his life, so he had no reference for how ‘ghoulish’ Thestrals really were. Unlike Edgeworth or, apparently, Celeste.

Phoenix frowned slightly, since being able to see a Thestral would be a great help right about now. Because he’d just reviewed them the other day, Phoenix knew that Thestrals were incredibly docile. But it was nearly impossible to ride something that was invisible to you. It was already weird enough seeing Edgeworth doing it.

There was no time to think about that now, Phoenix reminded himself. He had to focus. Celeste was already working some spells over her carpet. Phoenix would need to move faster if he wanted to catch up to both her and Edgeworth.

Okay, what was on the table? There was another carpet, but Phoenix immediately passed over it. Too much material to work with, in his opinion. No, it was better if he chose something smaller. That might make it easier for his charm to hold.

It would suck if it stopped working right as he was in the air, after all. Phoenix supposed he had the peace of mind to know he wouldn’t die, since he could always turn into a bird if need be. Sure, he’d be in a hell of a lot of trouble afterwards. But hey! It beat death.

That little bit of information helped him to keep calm. No matter what, he probably wouldn’t die. During this trial, at least.

After passing over a stool, three vacuums, and a few other objects which Phoenix couldn’t even begin to guess how they could help someone fly; he decided on a mop.

It was close to a broom right? Maybe that would make the spell stick easier.

That’s what Phoenix hoped, at least, so he went right ahead and began hitting the mop with as much magic as he could muster up.

He had just jumped up and fallen back on his ass for the fourth time when he heard clapping coming from the stands.

Phoenix moved his focus away from his progress and saw that Edgeworth had managed to get on top of one of the Thestrals. He was incredibly close to grabbing the golden orb that was hanging above the eastern corner of the field. Edgeworth, to Phoenix at least, basically looked like he was sitting and floating in midair. It was sort of cool looking, Phoenix had to admit. But also anxiety inducing. 

There was a wooshing sound besides Phoenix, and suddenly Celeste was air-born as well. She was strategically crouching on her carpet, looking ready to tear apart anything that got in her way. 

Phoenix was having trouble turning back to his work when one of the Bludger balls suddenly crashed into Edgeworth. Phoenix was gasping before he’d even registered what had happened, but Edgeworth didn’t fall down. 

As if summoned, a different bludgeon ball headed right towards Celeste. She saw it coming, ducking expertly. But it didn’t make a difference. The ball made a quick U-turn and struck Celeste right in the back. 

The balls couldn’t be hitting them too hard, since they both recovered fairly quickly. But the strikes seemed to have attracted the attention of the pixies. All at once the Cornish pixies stopped flitting around and turned to the person closest to them. There was a tense two seconds before they started flying at Edgeworth and Celeste. Phoenix felt pathetic, still land-locked as the other two began fighting tooth-and-nail to keep from being overtaken by the pixies, all while simultaneously trying to stay up in the air. He could only watch with growing horror as the Bludgers continued to strike Edgeworth and Celeste again and again, the pixies’ attacks growing fiercer with each hit. 

Phoenix couldn’t do anything stuck on the ground.

He threw his mop to the side. He wasn’t getting anywhere with that method.

Phoenix walked briskly over to where the hippogriffs were resting peacefully. He would’ve ran over, but he didn’t want to risk upsetting them. Hippogriffs were notoriously difficult. While they were one of the most loyal creatures you could know once you won their favor, getting them to like you in the first place was a challenge in itself. Any little thing could set them off. And once a hippogriff decided it didn’t like you, there was no winning them over.

And, well, Phoenix would be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid of being crushed under one of their huge hooves.

He couldn’t think about any of that now. Phoenix wasn’t sure what he’d try to do once he got into the air—but he knew he couldn’t stay down here.

There were three hippogriffs, all minding their own business. One was even taking a nap. Figuring that one wouldn’t be of much use, Phoenix turned his attention to the others.

Phoenix decided that the hippogriff closest to him was his best bet. She was slightly smaller than the other ones, with little spots along her coat which resembled freckles of a sort. And when she glanced up from the grass she was picking at to observe Phoenix’s approach, she didn’t immediately look like she wanted to trample him. That was probably a positive sign, right?

Phoenix mentally ran through the hippogriff etiquette he remembered reviewing a few weeks ago, more grateful than ever that Hagrid had given him that hint.

After he was about four feet away from his chosen hippogriff, Phoenix bowed deeply. He stayed in that position for a bit, very careful not to say anything, then tried to subtly glance up.

It took a little while, but Freckles (the name Phoenix had picked out for the hippogriff) bowed back. If the gesture could be called a bow. It was more like a nod than anything. Phoenix thought the half-way gesture meant he’d passed the first test, but one wrong move and he’d be in the outhouse. 

Okay. So he hadn’t ruined his chances yet. That was good.

Of course, Phoenix didn’t know what the next step was in a situation like this. His textbooks hadn’t been too specific on what to do if a hippogriff’s reaction was lukewarm.

Oh well. He’d just have to do whatever he thought was best. Phoenix stood back up, trying to look as friendly as possible.

He’d read that hippogriffs were smart, hadn’t he? And they were all about honor…at least, that’s what it seemed like to him. Maybe he should try to explain his situation to Freckles? 

As Phoenix had discovered this summer, he could sort of communicate with animals when he was in animangus form. Not like he could with humans, but there was a certain understanding there. Maybe that would carry over a little bit? A hippogriff was sort-of a bird, and though Phoenix couldn’t understand animals when he was human, maybe they could understand him a little better?

It was worth a try at least.

“Um, hey.” Phoenix said, holding his hands up in a non-threatening position. “I don’t know if you can understand me but… things are looking pretty rough right now.” Phoenix pointed up towards the air, where Edgeworth and Celeste were presumably still toughing it out. “I’d really appreciate it if you could help me get up there.” He tried to be both gentle and urgent, a combo he wasn’t sure he was pulling off too well. 

The hippogriff continued staring at him with dark eyes. 

“I’d fly up myself, but I’d get into a lot of trouble.” Phoenix whispered, now approaching near the hippogriff’s side. “Those two though? If they fall…” He winced, trying not to think of what Edgeworth would look like after hitting the ground from more than a hundred feet high.

Freckles kept still as Phoenix placed his hands on her side. Phoenix reckoned that meant he was doing okay so far. He wasn’t getting kicked in the face, anyways.

Then, just when Phoenix was wondering how he’d get onto her without any leverage, Freckles lowered her body close to the ground.

Figuring it was now or never, Phoenix went to straddle her. He tried to move steadily, doing his best not to fall down. 

He let out a quick sigh of relief once he was on properly. Then he tried very hard not to think about how he was on a _living_ creature that could kick him off at any moment. But, perhaps for the better, Phoenix didn’t get a lot of time to think before Freckles was batting her wings and lifting them up into the air.

Flying using your own wings was one thing, riding on the back of someone else was another matter entirely. Phoenix wasn’t sure how he felt about it. It was a lot less steady. The moment they lifted off the ground, Phoenix grabbed a bit of Freckles’ coat unconsciously. The fur gave a little, and he hadn’t seemed to have grabbed anything substantial, but Phoenix apologized anyway.

It took Freckles barely any time at all to lift them high above the Quidditch field. There was no time to enjoy being up in the air—while it would’ve been nice to try and see how different this flying experience was to his usual way, Phoenix had come up there for a reason.

Phoenix looked around, adjusting to the change in perspective. 

He was surprised to find that Edgeworth and Celeste were no longer struggling against the pixies. Instead, the sky around him was filled with entire patches of the immobilized blue creatures.

Someone must have figured out a counter spell for them while Phoenix was distracted. Now that he bothered to think about it, the noises from the crowd had switched from gasping into excited yelling a while ago.

Not all of the pixies were hit. There were still quite a few surrounding the section with the third token. And, from what Phoenix could tell, the freezing spell was temporary. Meaning that groups of pixies would become reanimated and swarm after whoever had hit them. 

The bludgeon-ball things kept going after Celeste and Edgeworth, but the hits didn’t seem that strong.

It almost made Phoenix wonder why neither of them had managed to finish the challenge yet. From what he could see, there appeared to be some sort of problem with the golden tokens themselves. Both Edgeworth and Celeste were right beside their chosen orb, pausing every now and then to bat away the bludgeons or freeze a group of pixies.

Phoenix felt himself relax slightly, now that the situation wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it been.

It was right then that one of the bludgeon balls slammed into his side.

Phoenix startled slightly, swiftly moving to readjust his balance. It really wasn’t hitting him very hard, Phoenix was able to note. If anything, it was like being hit with a water balloon. Except without the bursting water.

The bludgeon ball (though Phoenix was now certain it wasn’t a Bludger) bounced right back off of him. What was the point of that thing if it didn’t even hurt him?

The point, Phoenix noticed a mere second later, was probably as a signal to the pixies. It had to be, since the group huddled in the third corner of the field were now all heading right towards him.

 _What the hell?_ Phoenix thought. _I wasn’t even near the third token!_

That didn’t seemed to matter one bit to the pixies now coming to tear his eyes out. 

“Let’s get out of here!” Phoenix whispered to Freckles and, thankfully, Freckles obliged. 

Phoenix hadn’t overhead the spell that the others had used to freeze the pixies, but he shouted out his best guesses while Freckles flew them away.

There was one spell, a fireworks charm, which stopped the pixies for a moment. It didn’t freeze them, but the sparkles distracted them for a couple of blissful seconds.

Hadn’t he read that pixies liked shiny things or something? It was that and nesting which made them sort of similar to a few birds. Not that Phoenix could really reflect on that information before the charm faded away and the pixies went back to tailing him.

Okay, Phoenix figured, he was officially smack in the middle of the tournament. If he was going to get chased and harassed by friggen pixies, he might as well try to get something out of it.

The golden orb, the one which these pixies had been gallivanting around, was now out in the open. The weird hit-happy ball, which had originally been rotating around the token, was now determined to smack Phoenix and set more pixies on him.

“Let’s grab the orb while we can.” Phoenix said to Freckles. “Then we can get out of here and away from these dumb blue jerks.”

Whether or not the hippogriff could really understand him, she seemed to be heading in the orb’s direction anyways.

Phoenix figured his best bet was to just grab the orb as Freckles moved past it. That way they wouldn’t fall behind and be overtaken by pixies, and they could head straight down and into the golden cauldron-fountain thing.

Phoenix whispered his plan to the hippogriff, just in case she could understand. Then he got in a position to grab the token. He had to reach out at just the right moment for this to work.

Phoenix bit his lip, counting down the seconds until Freckles would pass the orb. When the right moment came, Phoenix grabbed at the orb as hard as he could with both hands.

He had expected a little resistance, so Phoenix made sure not to let go when he felt a slight tug from the token. Phoenix clenched his legs to hold onto Freckles better, in order to help combat the resistance without loosening his grip, but his legs fumbled into empty air.

It was like reaching the end of a stair case, but expecting one more step than there really was, and stumbling into nothing. Yeah, it was like that, but a hundred times worse. 

Because instead of fumbling a little bit onto carpet, Phoenix was now hanging from more than a hundred feet up in the air. The only thing holding him up was his death-like grip on the golden orb that was still floating, apparently immobile.

A grip that was now slowly but surely slipping.

Phoenix had always been a sweaty guy. Especially when he was nervous. Usually it didn’t bother him too much, besides being a little embarrassing from time to time. Now? Well, right now it was dooming him to a rather nasty fate.

People might’ve been screaming, but he wasn’t sure. It was really hard to focus on anything else but the rush of blood between his ears. Phoenix had to force himself to open his eyes. He knew that closing them wouldn’t do him any good at this point. He had to be aware the moment he fell down. After that, well, he had a short amount of time to change into a phoenix and try to avoid becoming a splatter mark on the grass.

Phoenix knew he was about to start free-falling a second before it actually happened. But there was barely any time for him to react before he felt himself land on something surprisingly soft.

Phoenix opened his eyes (which he’d unconsciously clenched, again) and saw that he was on the back of his hippogriff. Freckles had come back for him.

“Forget Maya and Larry.” Phoenix nearly cried into the familiar fur. “You are my new best friend—thank you, _thank you_!” 

He was empty handed, the token not having budged from its original spot, but Phoenix wasn’t dead or exposed as an animagus. He’d take that, gladly.

A quick glance around told Phoenix that neither Celeste nor Edgeworth had managed to move their orbs either.

How the heck were they supposed to get those things on the ground?

Freckles continued flying around the stadium, making sure to keep out of reach of the pixies that were still chasing them, while Phoenix thought about what to do.

So—he’d gotten up in the air, but the golden orb was impossible to move from its spot. Neither Edgeworth nor Celeste had made any progress either. That meant that either there was some method to moving the token that none of them had figured out yet, or they were missing something.

Like he often did when he was stuck in a bad situation, Phoenix thought about what Mia would do. What was it that she always said?

 _Try thinking out of the box_. Phoenix could almost hear Mia tell him. _Things change depending on how you look at them. If something doesn’t make sense, then think the problem through and figure out why that is!_

Okay. Phoenix could do this. He just had to try and look at this from a different angle. 

Alright…what was it that Phoenix knew for sure? What were the facts of the problem?

He needed to collect the token and put it in the golden cauldron. The token was up in the air. Phoenix needed to get up in the air, using only the sources placed in the Quidditch Field. He’d already succeeded on that last part. It was the first task that was giving him trouble.

What else was there? Phoenix needed to avoid any obstacles that prevented him from collecting the token. Or, how was it that von Karma had worded it? ‘Distractions’.

 _That’s a strange way to put it_. Phoenix thought suddenly. In fact, now that he was thinking about it, there were several things in the announcements before the trail that had struck him as odd. Professor von Karma’s use of the word ‘distractions’ was one of them. While the pixie attacks were distracting, that wouldn’t be the first word Phoenix would choose to describe them.

That wasn’t the only thing that stuck out in those announcements…but Phoenix couldn’t really put a finger on what had bother him. If he really had to describe it, it was like the Headmasters were being purposefully vague. For instance, Professor von Karma had never really explained the pixies. He had just ‘snapped’ and then they appeared, leading Phoenix to assume they were meant to keep them from reaching the tokens. Even Professor McGonagall hadn’t been specific. She had just gestured to the golden orbs, without even explicitly saying they were the tokens! 

Phoenix stiffened suddenly with his epiphany. _They’d never said the golden orbs were the tokens._

Could that be it? Phoenix wondered. It sort of made sense, if the golden orbs were a distracting red herring. And it explained why Professor Oldbag had specified that the _proper_ tokens be taken to the cauldron-fountain.

But McGongall had gestured to the golden orbs when she had mentioned the tokens. Hadn’t she? 

No, wait. Phoenix realized. She had only gestured in the direction of the golden orbs. And what else had been there, slowly rotating around them? The Bludger balls.

Maybe the Bludger balls weren’t to signal the pixies at all, at least not in the way that Phoenix had thought. The pixies were probably enchanted to chase after whoever went after the token, right? But they didn’t seem that aggressive when someone went after the golden orbs. The pixies only went crazy _when the Bludger balls hit them._

 _That’s it_ , Phoenix realized. What purpose the golden orbs served, other than distracting them, Phoenix didn’t know. Unless…

Phoenix remembered how distracted the pixies had been by his fireworks spell, and the way the creatures had been dancing around the orbs before he, Edgeworth, or Celeste had gotten into the air. What if the orbs were there to help keep control of the pixies? Or to help keep them in the field at least, since pixies (even enchanted ones) were difficult to work with.

Give them something shiny to distract them, and they’d stay in place long enough for the challenge to finish.

Phoenix began to feel more and more sure of his theory. The golden orbs wouldn’t move because they were never _meant_ to be moved. The real tokens were the stupid balls (of which there were _exactly_ three) that wouldn’t stop hitting them!

What was he going to do now that he figured it out? _Well_ , Phoenix smirked slightly, _the only thing left to do is to win this thing._

“Alright, Freckles.” Phoenix crouched down near to the hippogriff’s ear. “We’re about to change this up a little. When I yell ‘now’, you’ll fly us straight down to that cauldron.” Phoenix pointed to where the golden cauldron sat. He had no idea what the pixies would do when they saw Phoenix grab the _real_ token, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be pretty. They would need to get down to the ground fast. “Sound good?”

There wasn’t any sort of gesture or movement that told Phoenix Freckles understood him, but he figured that was alright. She had listened to everything else Phoenix had said so far. Or, at least, it seemed like it.

They would just both have to do their best.

With that in mind, Phoenix took a deep breathe and looked around the field. It hadn’t been too long since the Bludger had last hit him.

Sure enough, Phoenix could see his Bludger swing around to come at him again. Instead of dodging when the ball headed for him, Phoenix held his hands out and stood his ground.

“Oof.” Phoenix grunted as the Bludger struck him right in the chest. The moment he registered that the ball had hit him, Phoenix wrapped his arms tight around it. Touching the ball like this made Phoenix realize that it definitely was _not_ a Bludger, or at least not a Bludger he’d seen in any Quidditch match. The ball felt squishy, though its shape and center stayed firm when Phoenix pushed against it. It was almost like a giant tapioca ball, except not sticky.

Phoenix had been expecting the ball to try and fly away again, but it made no move to leave after Phoenix caught it.

Which was good, because Phoenix wasn’t sure he could’ve dealt too well with the token trying to run away from him. Because this was definitely the token, Phoenix was sure of it. The way that all the pixies within a ten foot radius stopped dead and turned to stare at him was a bit telling.

“Now!” Phoenix yelled, right before the pixies began to fly after them. Freckles dived downwards as a huge cloud of blue pixies stormed after them with renewed vigor. Even some of the pixies that were bothering Edgeworth and Celeste abandoned them to come after Phoenix instead, creating the largest group of focused pixies that he’d ever seen.

Phoenix turned forward again, clutching the token closer to his chest. He could’ve sworn the ball was vibrating, almost like a hum, but he didn’t have any time to examine it closer. All Phoenix needed to do was keep hold of the token long enough to place it inside the cauldron. 

Water teared up in Phoenix’s eyes from how fast and deep Freckles was diving, but he fought to keep his eyes open. He needed to jump off the moment Freckles landed, or sooner, depending on how close those pixies were.

The pixies would stop after he put in the token, right? Phoenix wondered suddenly. They had to, otherwise he’d win the challenge only to end up with his face clawed out.

There wasn’t any time to think about it, the ground was coming up too fast. Phoenix rolled off of Freckles as soon as he felt like they were close enough to the ground. If the pixies really wouldn’t stop, then Phoenix wanted to put as much distance between him and them as he could.

Phoenix curled around the token and rolled onto the ground, long-forgotten tumbling lessons kicking in subconsciously. He kept one arm curled around the ball as he shoved himself up and ran towards the cauldron, not daring to look back. All the quick movement cause Phoenix to trip right as he reached the edge of the bowl, his hand and the token falling right in. Phoenix grasped the edges of the cauldron to stop himself from dropping down any further.

The effect was instantaneous. Phoenix watched with amazement as the token melted into a pudding-like sludge. That wasn’t the end of it, though. In one quick second the sludge was resting inside the cauldron, and the next it was jumping up and wrapping itself around Phoenix’s wrist.

Phoenix almost fell again as he leaned back in shock. But the token-sludge was already attached to him—now resembling a thick brown bracelet.

He was forcibly torn from looking at his new accessory by a pixie pulling his hair. 

“ _Immobulus_!” Shouted a familiar voice, and Phoenix was able to move freely again. The pixie was now floating frozen in the air, surrounded by dozens of his kin in a similar state.

Edgeworth walked passed them all calmly, placing the proper token into the cauldron.

“Thanks.” Phoenix said, rubbing the sore spot on his head where the pixie had attacked him. The pixies were no doubt after Edgeworth too, but still, Phoenix appreciated the help.

“Did you really not remember the Freezing Charm?” Edgeworth replied dryly, not looking at him. He watched intently as his own token melted into weird sludge, then attached itself to him. The only thing that betrayed Edgeworth was surprised by the transformation was the way his head moved slightly back.

At least Phoenix knew that the token was supposed to do that now.

A quick look above them showed that Celeste was still up in the air, though it looked like she wouldn’t be for long. She also had the real token in her hand. Both she and Edgeworth must’ve caught on to what was happening pretty quickly after Phoenix had pulled his stunt.

She wasn’t having any trouble with the pixies, using the Freezing Charm to stop them from chasing her. It probably helped that so many of them had left to ambush Phoenix a while back. But her carpet was wavering in a way that was concerning. It looked like her Flying Charm was starting to wear off.

Luckily, Celeste was only a couple of feet away from the ground when it finally gave out. The fall didn’t seem to have hurt anything important, since she was up and running towards the cauldron within no time.

Phoenix brushed some grass stains off his robe from when he’d made his own landing. He already knew what would happen once Celeste put her token in, so instead Phoenix looked to see where Freckles had gone.

There she was resting nearby, back to picking at the grass. Phoenix ran over to her, the adrenaline from before still taking it’s time in going away.

“That was awesome!” Phoenix grinned, slowing down once he was by the hippogriff’s side. Then, after a quick reflection, Phoenix bowed.

“Thank you.” He said quietly. Freckles nodded her head, the tip of her wing moving to rest against Phoenix’s back for just a moment. Then it was gone, and Freckles went back to ignoring him in favor of grass.

The cheering from the stands had been unbearably loud for some time now. It had been easy to ignore when everything else had been going on, but now that the trial was finished, it was impossible to block out the noise.

“In the lead with forty two points,” the Judges voice echoed across the stadium, “—for discovering the true tokens and being the first to finish the challenge, is Phoenix Wright.”

He was winning? Could that actually be happening?

People were chanting his name, Phoenix noticed belatedly. It sounded as if the entire Hogwarts section was cheering for him. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before.

“In second is Miles Edgeworth,” the Judge continued talking, though there was a glazed fog entering Phoenix’s head that made it harder to listen. “With thirty nine points awarded for being the first to fly and to use the Freezing Charm against the pixies.”

Phoenix startled when a hand appeared on his shoulder. It was Professor McGonagall.

“Well done.” She said, both her smile and her voice soft. Phoenix followed wordlessly as she led him back towards the champion’s tent. Other Hogwarts professors were already on the Quidditch Field, cleaning and putting everything back to normal. Phoenix watched as Freckles was gently herded away by Professor Hagrid, who smiled widely at him when he caught Phoenix looking.

“And in third is Celeste Inpax, with thirty five points awarded for her quick thinking and exemplary use of the Flying Charm.”

The crowds in the stadium were still yelling excitedly. Even as he entered back into the tent, Phoenix could hear people cheering out his name.

Phoenix rubbed self-consciously at his new bracelet. It had the same squishy texture that the token ball had been made of. The bracelet was most likely a clue to the next tournament trial, but right now all Phoenix could see it as was tangible, real proof that he’d finished the first challenge. And he’d won.

 _Maybe_ , a warm tentative voice whispered from within Phoenix’s chest, _just maybe—the Goblet really did make the right choice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently Sirius, when he was in dog form, talked to and became friends with Hermione's cat. This is a fact that continues to bring up many questions, but it's also hilarious. So. 
> 
> Also, you might've noticed that I tagged Implied Abuse (all thanks to trashbag von karma, as I'm sure you're able to surmise). I will continue to tag for anything that comes up in future chapters. Please feel free at any point to let me know if I should warn for anything else or improve the warnings.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! Everyone should check out the lovely fanart jrrtfanforlife made for me on tumblr! [It's over here!](http://jrrtfanforlife.tumblr.com/post/135074426342/soooooo-i-made-a-thing-its-a-birthday-present) Best birthday present I could've asked for honestly :,) 
> 
> Anyways, here's the next chapter!

Phoenix was practically ambushed the second he left the champion’s tent. There was a large group of people waiting outside for him, many of whom he didn’t recognize. But, thankfully, his friends were at the front of the herd.

“That was amazing Nick!” Maya tackled him on sight. Phoenix adjusted his weight fast enough to catch her, returning the hug with gusto.

“What a close one!” Larry joined in, patting Phoenix hard on the back. “I gotta say buddy, you almost made me faint when you were hanging in the air like that!”

“You’re not the only one.” Emma moved in from nearby, a smile on her face. “Lana looked like she was gonna vomit.”

“I bet you could’ve heard Mia yelling from the stands.” Maya finally dropped her arms from around Phoenix’s shoulders, though she kept close. “My eardrums nearly burst out.”

Phoenix chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry about that. I definitely didn’t plan the whole ‘almost-falling-to-my-death thing.”

“You better not have.” Ema lightly punched his shoulder.

His friends were barely able to get another word in before there were varying cries of “show us the token!” from their nearby audience. Not sure what else to do, Phoenix lifted up his left arm to showcase where, wrapped tightly around his wrist, was what had previously been the token. This resulted in a stampede of different questions and exclamations that were too quick for Phoenix to catch.

“Alright, back it up people!” Larry announced, pushing his hands out to encourage the crowd to move backwards. “Give the man some space!” Larry really was taking his self-imposed role as Phoenix’s ‘manager’ seriously, a fact that Phoenix couldn’t help but feel grateful for in that moment.

“Let’s get you out of here, hotshot.” Ema muttered, starting the long trek back to the Hogwarts castle. It was probably for the best. The area around them was getting more crowded by the minute, people gathering to see the other champions exit.

“There’s already a huge party planned for tonight.” Maya said as she walked besides them. She waved to a few people she recognized in the crowd. “We’re holding it in the Hufflepuff common room, to celebrate the first trial and your win!”

People were still applauding him. Phoenix tried to repay every cheer with a smile and a weak thumbs-up. He hadn’t gotten used to all of this attention yet. It was kind of nice, in a way. If a little overwhelming.

“Is that where Lana and Mia are?” Phoenix asked. “Getting ready for the party?” It was a little strange that the two of them weren’t there to congratulate him with the others.

He didn’t expect the question to make Maya start laughing. Not just any laugh either, but a series of full bodied splutters that surprised Phoenix with their suddenness. Phoenix was even more confused when Ema let out a deep groan.

“You won’t believe what happened.” Maya explained, still chuckling. She wiped some residual tears away. “For all of her anti-Tournament talk—Mia got _really_ into it. I already told you, she was yelling and everything.”

“Uh-huh?” Phoenix replied. He couldn’t tell where this was going, not for the life of him.

“And when you finished the task,” Maya continued with a cheeky grin, “she _lost_ it. Mia just—just grabbed Lana by the scarf and planted a big wet one right on her!”

“She kissed Lana?” Phoenix gasped. It wasn’t that he was surprised, necessarily. Mia and Lana’s unacknowledged _thing_ with each other was one of those issues that everyone sort of knew about, but never openly spoke of. Phoenix always figured they'd get together eventually, but the event itself was a distantly vague image in his mind. Imagining them actually _doing_ something about their tension was sort of weird.

“They made out for a while after that.” Ema said gloomily. In a lower voice she added, “I never needed to see my sister Frenching.”

Maya, on the other hand, seemed nothing but ecstatic over this development in her older sister’s love life. “I’m so proud of you, Nick.” She said. “Your victory has brought an end to years of unnecessary pining.” Phoenix was having a hard time figuring out whether or not the tearful tone in her voice was jokingly exaggerated or genuine. Probably joking, if the fake tears Maya was wiping away were any indication. “Never again will I have to endure yet another unsubtle round of Mia’s ‘do-you-think-she-likes-me?’ Followed by her acting like that wasn’t even what she’d been asking!”

“At what price?” Ema moaned, her hands in the air. Phoenix was pretty sure that she was being over-dramatic on purpose too. “I’m telling you, we’ve set ourselves up for copious amounts of PDA!”

“Don’t ruin the moment.” Maya lightly scolded. Her eyes were closed benevolently, her hands clasped in prayer. “Let me have my peace.”

Phoenix didn’t get to see the newly made couple for himself until the party later that night.

It didn’t look like they had changed much, at first. Despite Ema’s vocal paranoia, there was no public snogging. Lana and Mia had never struck Phoenix as the type for extreme public affection anyways. At least, not under normal circumstances. Their first kiss seemed like a rather big exception.

But there was a difference. Phoenix noticed, as the night went on, that neither of them stayed far apart for long. And whether it was Lana’s hand on Mia’s shoulder, their arms pressed close together, or Mia’s hand resting lightly on Lana’s hip—there always seemed to be a point of physical contact between them.

It didn’t even seem like something they were consciously aware of. Phoenix would’ve teased them, but tonight wasn’t the night for it. A few students even had the foresight to sneak in some fire whiskey and butter beer, and both Mia and Lana were in such a good mood that, despite being prefects, they turned a blind eye.

Friendly teasing could wait until tomorrow.

Everyone was relaxed and happy, riding off the high of Hogwarts being in the lead. Phoenix couldn’t move two feet without someone coming up to congratulate him. Whether it was the fire-whiskey or just the relief of having gotten through the first trial relatively intact, Phoenix was actually allowing himself to enjoy the attention a little.

Okay, so maybe it was _mostly_ the fire-whiskey. Phoenix could admit to himself that he’d been drinking a lot more than usual. But people kept giving him celebratory drinks! How could he say no? It was rude not to accept them, was what it was.

It was when he spilled his own drink on himself that Phoenix thought he should maybe reconsider his philosophy. He stared down, depressed, at the wet splotch spreading across his shirt and robes. Unsurprisingly, it smelt strongly of alcohol. And Phoenix hadn’t yet reached the drunken state where he no longer cared about his clothes.

Phoenix politely excused himself from the group he’d been talking to, heading towards the water cooler a student had set up earlier. He poured himself a cup and tried to discreetly use the water to clean up the mess on his shirt. It probably would’ve been easier to just go to the bathroom, but (in his tipsy state) this felt like the best option.

After dabbing at his shirt for a few minutes, Phoenix finally felt like it was as good at it was going to get. Satisfied and nodding to himself, Phoenix turned away from the water cooler only to immediately run into someone.

“Shit, sorry!” Phoenix apologized. At least neither of them had fallen down. Though Phoenix’s shirt was now drenched again, this time from spilling the left-over water from earlier.

“Oh, no, it was my fault—” Came the immediate response, the voice tipping Phoenix off to who he’d bumped into.

“Oh, Iris!” Phoenix said. “I didn’t get any water on you, did I?” He’d been wondering whether or not she was at the party. It felt like ages since he’d last seen her. Since summer actually, now that he thought about it.

Iris shook her head, though Phoenix could clearly see water stains down the middle of her shirt.

“I should go.” Iris said. And before Phoenix could protest, or even apologize again, she was practically running away.

Phoenix stood there awkwardly. Was Iris avoiding him? That was the longest conversation they’d have since the semester started again, and Iris had left as soon as she could.

He really thought they’d been doing better. It had seemed like that, over the summer. They’d been talking! And yeah, it got weird sometimes. But still, Phoenix thought they were finally getting over that disastrous mix-up from a year ago.

 _Not that I can blame her for still being upset…_ Phoenix thought glumly. He stared at the paper cup that’d been crushed by their earlier crash. He really had done a shitty thing to Iris, even if he hadn’t meant to. Maybe it wasn’t right of him to expect them to be friends after that.

A sudden arm around his shoulders distracted Phoenix from continuing that depressing line of thought.

“There he is!” Larry slurred into his ear. “Nick, my man!”

“Hey Larry.” Phoenix chuckled, Larry’s infectious cheerfulness acting in full force.

“Dude…I swear, you gotta try this sherry.” Larry said, holding up a mug of gold liquor. “It’s so…so good.” Larry started giggling into Phoenix’s shoulder.

“I mean, if you insist.” Phoenix, completely ignoring his earlier conviction to stop taking drinks from people, took a sip from Larry’s mug.

“You two drink any more of that,” Mia practically snuck up on them, “And you’re going to have one hell of a hangover.”

Phoenix jumped slightly at Mia’s appearance, but was very proud of himself for not spilling Larry’s drink. He’d spilt enough tonight.

“That’s a problem for future us!” Larry replied happily.

“Ah yes, poor future Larry.” Lana said, by Mia’s side (just as she had been all night). “The one who always seems to suffer for your actions.” She smiled dryly.

“Eh, he’ll be alright.” Larry waved her off. “That guy’s tough. He can handle it!”

“I’ll be sure to remind you of that when you’re complaining tomorrow.” Mia replied. Then she glanced over at Phoenix. “And what about you? Will you be too hungover to get to work?”

“Work? What work?” Phoenix asked, creasing his forehead. There weren’t any upcoming assignments he’d forgotten about, were there?

Mia stared at him blankly. “Figuring out the next tournament trial, of course.”

Phoenix groaned. “Already? But I just finished the first one.”

“Yeah Mia!” Larry agreed. “Give the man a break!”

Mia, surprisingly, chuckled. “I’m not saying you have to hit the books right away.” Then she shifted, turning serious again. “It’s only that we have to start thinking about what comes next.”

“You’ve been given a clue, correct?” Lana added.

“Yeah, I guess.” Phoenix showed them the bracelet wrapped around his left wrist. He’d done that a lot during the party so far. Everyone wanted to get a closer look. “It’s stuck.” Phoenix said, tugging against the material for emphasis. The brown whatever-it-was stretched out slightly, but after a certain distance it snapped right back into its original position. Phoenix had already spent a few hours trying to see if there was a way to get it off, with no luck. At least it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Interesting.” Mia poked at it. She tilted her head. “The clue must have something to do with getting it off.”

“You think so?” Phoenix asked.

“I suppose it makes sense.” Lana replied. “I don’t see how it could act as a clue, otherwise.”

“Let’s not worry about that right now.” Larry interrupted them. “We're at a party! We can deal with all of that later. Tonight we’re celebrating!”

“You know what?” Mia said. “You’re right.” She grabbed Larry’s drink out of his hands and took a long gulp. She handed the rest of it to Lana.

Lana stared down at the golden liquid. “I suppose it’s a problem our future selves will deal with.” Then she finished the drink with one gulp.

~

Their future selves did not thank them at all.

The hangover was terrible, and they didn’t end up making any progress on what the next tournament trial would be. Still, Phoenix felt like it was worth it. Though he could’ve done without the headache.

Actually, the first one to get the bracelet off was Edgeworth—a mere three days later.

But Edgeworth didn’t make a big announcement out of his accomplishment. In fact, he didn’t say anything at all.

It was simply that the bracelet was on him one day, and then the next it was off. It took a little while for Phoenix to notice, despite the two of them having Potions together that morning. His naked wrist wasn’t exactly the first thing about Edgeworth to catch Phoenix’s attention.

Edgeworth looked terrible. The dark eye bags Phoenix had noticed yesterday had only gotten darker.

It was with a sympathetic twinge that Phoenix remembered what time of the month it was. The full moon wasn’t for a few more days yet. But, back during their first year of Hogwarts, the time period right before changing had always made Miles uneasy. It looked like that hadn’t changed.

Edgeworth would probably be worn out until the weekend. Hopefully then he’d get some rest.

Phoenix would’ve gone back to working on the class assignment (or, in other words, do whatever Dahlia said while she did most of the potion-making), if the fact that Edgeworth was no longer wearing the token hadn’t finally sunk in.

“Wow, Edgeworth.” Phoenix said. “You got the bracelet off!”

Both Edgeworth and Kay turned away from whatever potion they were making (the assignment of the day was to make anything requiring moonstone) to turn towards Phoenix.

“And?” Edgeworth asked, going back to shaking porcupine quill powder. Were they making Draught of Peace? Really? That was just showing off.

“Well, how’d you do it?” Phoenix continued. “How’d you get it off?”

“And why would I tell you?” Edgeworth replied. He made it sound like doing so would be the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.

“I was just asking, geez.” Phoenix said.

“Well, don’t.” Edgeworth snapped, sharply turning around so that Phoenix was facing his back.

Kay stayed where she was, glancing from Edgeworth back to Phoenix. The look on her face could best be described as the embodiment of a softly spoken ‘yikes’.

“Can’t give away trade secrets!” Kay said eventually, shrugging at Phoenix before going back to work. He saw her shoot Edgeworth a questioning look, but he was stubbornly focused on their assignment and nothing else.

“Hey, champion.” Dahlia directed at Phoenix. “Are you going to stare off all day or actually help me with this?” She pointed to their half-finished potion. Potion No. 86, as Dahlia had picked out. Whenever they got a choice in what they made, she always seemed to go for the poisons, a creepy fact that Phoenix had noticed since becoming her class partner.

“Champion?” Phoenix questioned, though he grudgingly went back to slicing up some of the herbs needed for the potion’s next step. “I think I preferred it when you called me loser.”

“Does it look like I care what you prefer?” Dahlia replied back, her tone deadpan. “And if you don’t cut those things small enough, I swear to Merlin I’ll make you drink the final product.” She pointed at their potion. Dahlia always had a way of making death threats sound like she’d be doing you a favor. “I am not getting points off again just because you can’t slice properly.”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it.” Phoenix rolled his eyes. “As always, you are a delight.” He mumbled to himself.

Luckily for Dahlia’s grades and Phoenix’s life expectancy, Professor Armando didn’t find anything wrong with their assignment. Dahlia left as soon as that was confirmed, leaving Phoenix to do clean up duty as usual. It was part of their unspoken class-partner agreement. Dahlia would tolerate Phoenix riding on the coattails of her Potions expertise, as long as he had to do all the clean-up required afterwards. It was a compromise they’d built early on, both of them too stubborn to move seats and partners.

It looked like Edgeworth was stuck with a similar deal, though Phoenix was pretty sure that Edgeworth did most of the actual potion making as well. Kay, as far as he could tell, mostly acted as a cheerleader of sorts.

(Phoenix had asked Kay about it once, why she was in such an advanced class despite being fourteen. He’d been expecting her to be a magical genius or something, like Franziska. Instead, she had just laughed.

“Oh, I’m terrible at Potions!” She replied. “But Franziska isn’t taking any this year, and this was the one Edgeworth had!”

“Miss Faraday here is a leech.” Edgeworth explained before Phoenix could get too confused. “Since we were allowed to pick which Hogwarts classes we’d join, she decided to seize the opportunity to spend this year piggybacking on Franziska and I’s efforts.”

“Hey now!” Kay protested. “You don’t have to put it like that.” She chuckled again, aiming a large cheeky smile at Edgeworth. “Besides, you know you enjoy the company.”)

Kay had left class with a silent speed that always managed to impress Phoenix, despite seeing it so often.

Now it was just Edgeworth, wiping the surface of their work table with an intense focus. He didn’t glance up or even pause when Phoenix coughed pointedly.

“Hey, Edgeworth.” Phoenix said, more direct. Edgeworth still didn’t acknowledge his presence.

Undeterred, Phoenix moved so that he was directly in front of him. “Are you mad at me?” Phoenix asked. “You know I wasn’t seriously expecting you to tell me how you got the thing off.”

Edgeworth didn’t lift up his head. Phoenix was pretty sure the table couldn’t get any cleaner, but Edgeworth stubbornly kept at it. Phoenix was starting to get a little annoyed.

“Is it because of that conversation we had, like, a week ago?” Phoenix asked, in reference to the fight they’d had in front of the Hospital Wing.

This finally made Edgeworth glance up. He was frowning, clearly irritated. The wrinkles on his face, caused by his furrowing eyebrows, were deeper than usual. That, combined with his dark eye-bags, made him look ancient.

The annoyance Phoenix had been feeling softened at the look. “Are you feeling okay?” He asked, slightly concerned. “You look…tired.”

Edgeworth narrowed his eyes. “I’d appreciate it if you’d stop acting like we’re friends.”

“What?” Phoenix couldn’t keep some of his automatic hurt out of the question. That felt like it had come out of nowhere.

“We’re rivals, Wright.” Edgeworth said. “Or have you not noticed?” While the second statement was clearly sarcasm, it was spoken with more exhaustion than amusement.

“Is this really about the tournament?” Phoenix asked. Then, more accusingly, “Are you mad because I’m ahead of you?”

“You’re three points ahead, Wright.” Edgeworth replied dryly. “Hardly a running lead.”

“Well, for only three points—you’re acting kind of pissy about it.” Phoenix shot back.

Edgeworth sighed deeply, rubbing the top half of his face. He honestly did seem more tired than angry.

“Seriously…” Phoenix lowered his voice. “have you been getting enough sleep? I know this time of the month is rough for you—”

“Stop that.” Edgeworth interrupted. “This is what I mean.” His voice now sounded as exhausted as he looked. “Why do you care?”

Phoenix didn’t know what to say.

“I don’t need to be mothered, Wright.” Suddenly all the irritation was back in Edgeworth’s voice. “I can take care of myself.” He practically spat.

“Well,” Phoenix argued, feeling defensive and a little pissed off himself, “Maybe I wouldn’t worry so god damn much if you didn’t shut everyone out all the time!”

Phoenix flinched slightly at the eerie silence left in the classroom. He was suddenly acutely aware that they weren’t the only two students left cleaning up. Sure, most people had finished and left a while ago, but they weren’t exactly alone.

Whatever. Phoenix hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true. The thought filled him with another wave of justified anger.

“You know—it doesn’t even have to be me.” Phoenix said, moving closer to Edgeworth and changing his voice to a near whisper. “If I thought there was any way you were talking to someone—your sister, Kay, those other Durmstrang kids, I don’t care—instead of holding it all in like some kind of repressed time bomb, maybe then I wouldn’t be worried.” Phoenix let out a small huff in frustration. “But since you apparently haven’t told anyone since me—sorry for taken it upon myself to be _concerned_.”

“I didn’t ask for your concern.” Edgeworth bit out.

“Well too bad.” Phoenix said. “You have it.” He threw away the paper he’d been cleaning his and Dahlia’s table with, then left the classroom.

Phoenix was a little proud of himself that he was the one to walk out, for once.

~

Three hours later and Phoenix was still pissed.

At first, after the initial wave of anger had passed, he wasn’t sure why he’d gotten so upset. He wasn’t able to pin it down to anything more specific than ‘Edgeworth’s a jerk’. Which really shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore. Edgeworth had been distant and rude almost constantly since coming back to Hogwarts. Why had he been so bothered by it this time?

Well, not that Phoenix hadn’t gotten irritated before. He _had_ thrown dozens of paper balls at Edgeworth’s head because he was being ignored. But still, this time felt different.

Phoenix ran through the fight again and again in his head during his other classes.

It was the way Edgeworth acted like Phoenix didn't have any right to be worried. As if they were strangers. That's what got to him.

Edgeworth had said they weren't friends now. And that was probably true, though it hurt to admit. But they’d been friends once. That wasn't something Edgeworth could deny.

 _‘Why do you care?’_ Edgeworth had asked him.

Why wouldn't Phoenix care?

Edgeworth had been the first person he’d ever fully trusted, and who'd given him that same trust back. Was it really so strange for Phoenix to still care about him?

That was part of it, wasn't it? Why Phoenix felt so upset.

Because Phoenix knew that it could be considered unusual, how invested he was in the well-being of someone he’d only known for a year—someone who’d ignored him for several years afterwards.

Phoenix had held tightly onto his memories from first year whenever another month passed without a response to his letters. Even after he finally received one—the one politely asking Phoenix to stop writing—he refused to believe that Miles didn’t care. There had to be a reason behind it, why Miles hadn’t come back, why he wouldn’t answer Phoenix’s questions. There was an explanation for all of it.

There had to be. Otherwise, Miles had abandoned him for no reason; had maybe never cared for Phoenix at all.

He knew that wasn't true. Phoenix had always ignored those doubts, no matter how insistent they grew over the years. Miles had told Phoenix he was a werewolf, after all. That was an undeniable fact. And why would Miles have done that if he didn't trust Phoenix?

No, Phoenix couldn't believe their friendship during that year had been one sided.

But then why did Edgeworth act like there had never been anything between them? That’s what was pissing Phoenix off. The way that Edgeworth acted like _Phoenix_ was the weird one, for wanting to acknowledge their history.

But Phoenix wasn't wrong for still caring about Edgeworth, he knew that. And he wouldn't stop, even if Edgeworth wanted to continue keeping himself at a distance.

And if Edgeworth didn’t want to be friends? Fine. Whatever. That didn’t mean Phoenix was just going to let the guy self-destruct on himself.

(It would just be a _hell_ of a lot easier if Edgeworth didn’t act like Phoenix was _attacking_ him any time he offered to help.)

Phoenix had reached that conclusion two class periods ago, but he was still grumpy about the whole affair by the time it came for the last class of the day—Defense Against the Dark Arts. Which, of course, was the only other class he shared with Edgeworth.

Phoenix took his seat, forcing himself not to look and see whether or not Edgeworth was there yet. Phoenix was perfectly happy to ignore him; a move he was sure Edgeworth would approve of. It seemed to be his modus of operation anytime they fought, anyways.

Professor Gramarye had changed the layout of the classroom today, which wasn’t too unusual. Professor Granmarye took a more hands-on approach to learning, something Phoenix appreciated. It meant there were a lot of demonstrations in class, and the professor was always prepared to change the structure (or furniture) of the classroom if he thought it’d help with the lesson.

Today, all of the chairs were positioned circularly around three long tables pushed together.

Phoenix hoped he’d get to do something today. He felt restless, the frustration from his and Edgeworth’s argument not having completely worn off yet. It’d be nice to use magic to blow some steam. He’d even face off against a Boggart, their annoyingness be damned.

Any hopes for the class going well flew out the window when Phoenix saw Professor Granmarye entering the room side by side with Professor von Karma. Phoenix had to fight off the very visceral urge to groan.

“Good evening class.” Granmarye greeted with his standard hand wave, stepping onto the laid out tables with ease. “Professor von Karma and I were just discussing the dueling club he oversees back in Durmstrang.” Granmarye tapped his cane against the floor. “It made me realize how long it’s been since we’ve gone over dueling.”

Von Karma was not leaving the room, and Phoenix was slowly gaining a horrible certainty that the man would be overseeing the class. Phoenix had heard of the other school’s professors sitting in during classes, but he’d never seen it for himself. Just his luck that it would be today, and with Professor von Karma no less.

His fears where quickly confirmed. “Professor von Karma has kindly volunteered to assist me in moderating the duels.” Granmarye finished.

Professor von Karma stepped forward to join Granmarye on top the make-shift stage. “I fear some of you may be out of practice.” Von Karma announced, his throaty voice dripping with condescension. He turned to Granmarye. “Perhaps it would be prudent to allow one of my students to take part in the first demonstration?”

Professor Granmarye dipped his head in agreement.

“Excellent.” Von Karma sneered. “Edgeworth.” He said. It was very clearly a command, not a suggestion.

There was a noticeable pause where nothing happened. Edgeworth didn’t appear, and no one moved. Then von Karma gave a short huff and thumped the bottom of his cane onto the floor. Only then did Edgeworth stand up from his seat among the other students, lifting himself onto the stage without a word.

“Anyone willing to volunteer for the first duel?” Granmarye asked.

After a few seconds passed in silence, Phoenix raised his hand. “I’ll do it.” He said.

“Tremendous.” Granmarye replied. “Come up here and join us, then.”

Phoenix brought himself up on top of the tables. He and Edgeworth were doing an admirable job of avoiding any direct eye contact. Professor von Karma, for once, didn’t look like the mere sight of Phoenix disgusted him. If anything he looked curious, eyeing Phoenix from his position behind Edgeworth.

Granmarye set himself up similarly behind Phoenix, walking to the edge of the table. It was the position traditionally taken by a dueling wizard’s second, but Phoenix guessed that the professors were more interested in moderating the duel.

Edgeworth and Phoenix remained in the center of the stage, as was expected. Neither of them needed to be told to bow.

“Ready your wands!” Granmarye stated. As instructed, the two of them lifted their wands to the front of their face.

This wasn’t the first duel Phoenix had been in. He knew this was the part where any trash talking occurred. But Edgeworth didn’t say anything. He wasn’t even looking at Phoenix directly. To the audience it probably looked like Edgeworth was watching him intensely, but Phoenix was close enough to tell that Edgeworth was focused on a spot somewhere around Phoenix’s right ear—neatly avoiding his eyes.

Phoenix had nothing to say either.

“At the count of three, you may begin.” Granmarye said, signaling them to break apart and walk towards their separate edges of the stage. “I hope I don’t need to remind you that the goal of the duel is to disarm your opponent.” He added.

The moment Granmarye reached three, Edgeworth struck.

“ _Expelliarmus_!” Edgeworth declared. But Phoenix stopped the spell with a shield charm, having anticipated that Edgeworth would start out on the offensive.

Edgeworth looked undeterred, so Phoenix quickly fought back with something of his own.

“ _Colovaria_!” Phoenix yelled, smirking when he saw that his spell had hit its mark. He could tell that the use of that particular charm surprised Edgeworth. Then the class caught sight of the results, and the students near-simultaneously bursted into giggles.

Edgeworth’s hair was now a bright garish green.

Phoenix pointed to his own head, just in case Edgeworth didn’t get the memo. There was no need for it. Edgeworth grabbed the hair hanging near his eyes and glared at the color in horror. The look on his face made Phoenix burst out laughing.

 _Oh god, I needed that._ Phoenix thought as he quickly wiped away his tears of laughter.

Edgeworth was _finally_ looking at him, a promise of revenge in his eyes.

“ _Steleus_.” Edgeworth advanced towards him. Phoenix winced as the spell hit him, immediately making him sneeze uncontrollably.

Sneezing nearly caused Phoenix to be struck by Edgeworth’s next attack, a stickfast hex. Phoenix maneuvered himself around the green sludge that had been meant to trap his feet.

“ _Rictusempra_!” Phoenix quickly returned. Unfortunately, Edgeworth was able to get a shield charm up in time.

“Really, Wright?” Edgeworth said. They were now back to the middle of the stage. “The Tickling Charm?” Edgeworth snorted as they circled each other. “What is this, the fourth grade?”

“I know you are, but what am I?” Phoenix couldn’t resist replying. He stuck his tongue out for good measure. Edgeworth responded by rolling his eyes and then quickly flashing an ugly face of his own.

This was starting to get _fun_.

“ _Obscuro_!”

Then Phoenix was abruptly struck in the face with a blindfold.

“Gah!” Phoenix grunted as he hit the table’s surface with his butt. He tore off the blindfold as quickly as he could, knowing that the duel could be over any second.

Phoenix ripped the cloth off fast enough to see Edgeworth slowly coming towards him, a triumphant smirk on his face.

Then, suddenly, Edgeworth’s gaze moved from Phoenix to somewhere above his head. Whatever he saw must have startled him, as it became clear that Edgeworth’s focus was no longer entirely on their duel. For a moment it seemed like any of the amusement that had been creeping into Edgeworth’s expression vanished.

It was a brief break in Edgeworth’s concentration. Phoenix seized his chance. It was good timing too, as Edgeworth focus was just as quickly back on their duel, a spell already halfway through his mouth.

Phoenix didn’t bother trying to get up or dodge, instead hitting Edgeworth with a Trip Jinx.

The effects were instantaneous. Edgeworth’s legs wobbled and, not having expected the attack, he went down. Whatever spell Edgeworth had meant for Phoenix flew harmlessly over his head as Edgeworth hit the ground.

 _How’s **that** feel?_ Phoenix thought smugly.

Before Phoenix could get up and continue with the duel, a piercing shriek stopped him cold.

His first instinct was to look at Edgeworth, suddenly terrified that he’d accidentally hurt him. But the sound was coming from _behind_ Phoenix.

Edgeworth was on his feet and running before Phoenix could turn himself fully around.

The scream had come from Professor von Karma.

He was grasping his left shoulder, face twisted in startled pain. There was blood slowly trickling through the hand he was using to clutch his shoulder. The left sleeve of his robes had been entirely sliced through, the fabric slowly sliding off his arm. Von Karma moved his hand away from the wound in order to stop the sleeve from falling any further.

“Sir!” Edgeworth called out. Phoenix had barely gotten himself up from the ground, but Edgeworth had already reached his mentor.

“Get Madame Pomfrey!” Granmarye commanded a nearby Gryffindor. But before the student could leave, von Karma barked out, “There’s no need.”

Von Karma was scowling at the mess of his robes. Not only was it falling apart, but the blood was sure to stain. At least it seemed like the bleeding was starting to stop.

“But sir…” Edgeworth said. He reached out towards von Karma’s shoulder. Edgeworth had just managed to pull the sleeve further apart, presumably in order to get a better look at the cut, when von Karma snapped.

“Off of me!” von Karma growled, going so far as to push Edgeworth back.

Edgeworth stumbled, shock written clear across his face. There was a tense few seconds where von Karma glared angrily at Edgeworth, who was now frozen—staring off to the side.

“It’s only a scratch.” Von Karma said eventually. “I’ll take care of it myself.” Then he walked off, hand clutching his severed clothes together.

“Class is dismissed.” Granmarye stated. He followed after von Karma, hopefully in an attempt to convince the man to go to the Nurse Wing. There were uncomfortable murmurs as the rest of the class slowly dispersed.

Edgeworth was still stuck in place, now staring at his hand. There was blood on it from when he’d tried to look at von Karma’s shoulder.

Phoenix shuffled around guilty. He couldn’t help but feel responsible. True, it had been Edgeworth’s spell that had misfired, but that would’ve never happened if Phoenix hadn’t tripped him with a jinx. He hadn’t even been trying to win the duel. He’d just been fooling around.

“…You okay?” Phoenix asked, walking up to Edgeworth.

Edgeworth blinked, as if being woken from a trance.

“I’m sorry ‘bout tripping you.” Phoenix grimaced. “I didn’t think that’d happen. Will he be alright?” Phoenix didn’t like von Karma, not by a long shot. But that didn’t mean he actively took pleasure in seeing someone hurt. Especially if it was sort of his fault.

Edgeworth frowned, taking out a handkerchief to wipe at the blood on his hand. “The wound wasn’t deep, seeing as the spell wasn’t meant to injure…I just missed.” Edgeworth sighed, still looking tense. “He’ll be fine. It was a shock, is all.”

“No kidding.” Phoenix said. “What spell was that, anyways?”

“ _Diffindo_ , the Severing Charm.” Edgeworth replied. “It’s meant for clothes or paper, usually.” Edgeworth crumpled up the now bloody handkerchief. “And it was my fault, for looking away.”

“Well, I didn’t have to trip you. _Expelliarmus_ would’ve worked better if I'd wanted to win.” Phoenix said, trying to give him a sheepish smile.

Edgeworth didn’t seem to see it. “When we switched sides on stage…I was caught off guard.”

“Edgeworth?”

Edgeworth let out a breath, his voice turning wry. “I don’t think he was enjoying our little show.” He caught Phoenix’s eye. “Von Karma prefers his duels to be brief and brutal.”

“Ah, well.” Phoenix smirked. “That’s no fun.”

“I have to say that I’m of a similar mind.” Edgeworth admitted.

They stood there quietly. The classroom was now completely empty. No one had even bothered to put the chairs and tables back in their proper place.

Phoenix tried to come up with something else to say.

“Why’d you use the Severing Charm anyways?” Phoenix asked.

Edgeworth tensed. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, if that’s what you think.”

“Nah, I wasn’t thinking that.” Phoenix replied. “But seriously, what were you trying to do? Cut my hair spikes off?” Edgeworth let out a small chuckle at that. Encouraged, Phoenix went on. “Pants-ing me? That’s a little immature, don’t you think?”

Edgeworth became suspiciously silent.

“No.” Phoenix gasped, delighted. “You didn’t.”

Edgeworth turned away.

“You did!” Phoenix started laughing. “You were trying to pants me!” Phoenix couldn’t help it. The image of Edgeworth trying to do such a childish prank—it was _hilarious_.

“You turned my hair green.” Edgeworth said. He was clearly embarrassed, but apparently had enough dignity left to try and defend himself.

“It’s still green, you know.” Phoenix chuckled.

Edgeworth went to grab his hair, dragging his hand over his face once he realized Phoenix was right.

“It’ll wear off in a few hours?” Phoenix offered. Edgeworth glared at him.

“You know,” Phoenix said, still having entirely too much fun with this development, “if you really wanted to see my underwear…”

“That’s it.” Edgeworth said. “I’m leaving.”

“Aww, come on! Don’t go.” Phoenix protested, still laughing. Edgeworth gave him a blank stare before starting to leave.

“No, wait.” Phoenix said, more genuinely this time. He reached out to grab Edgeworth by the wrist. It wasn’t a strong hold by any means, but the gesture stopped Edgeworth cold. Phoenix could sense the sudden change of mood, but he continued holding on.

“I _am_ sorry for tripping you back there.” Phoenix said. “I don’t like von Karma, but still, I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.” Then, because Phoenix valued honesty, he added: “I had fun before that, though.”

Edgeworth met his eyes briefly, then looked back at the floor. Eventually, he nodded in agreement.

“Today’s been weird.” Phoenix sighed. “This whole thing—the tournament, seeing each other again—it’s weird. It has been for me, at least.” Phoenix’s voice went soft at the last admission.

Edgeworth relaxed slightly. Phoenix could feel it through his hold on Edgeworth’s wrist.

Phoenix decided to push his luck.

“But seriously,” Phoenix tightened his grasp gently, “tell me if you need help, okay? And you know I don’t mean with the tournament or whatever.” It was only then that Phoenix let go of his wrist.

Edgeworth didn’t leave immediately. Instead he stood there, looking like he wanted to say something.

Just when Phoenix was about to give up on him talking, Edgeworth finally spoke.

“Von Karma knows.” Edgeworth said. “About my condition.”

“What?” Phoenix replied. It took a moment for him to realize what Edgeworth was referring to. “Wait, you don’t mean…”

Edgeworth nodded. “You wanted someone else to know besides you—he does.” He explained.

Phoenix didn’t know what to say. He _had_ wondered whether or not von Karma knew Edgeworth was a werewolf. But knowing the answer didn’t feel satisfying. It just raised more questions.

“He found out not long after he took me in.” Edgeworth said, glancing off to the side. “I already knew how to make the potions by myself, but it wasn’t hard for him to notice the missing ingredients from his study.”

“What…um, what happened then?” Phoenix asked.

“He didn’t look surprised at all.” Edgeworth said, frowning. “It wasn’t completely unexpected, I suppose, seeing I was there the night my father was killed by a werewolf. I always thought he had assumed I’d been bitten then…” He looked unfocused again, like he had after von Karma had pushed him aside. But then Edgeworth shook his head, and subsequently shook away the train of thought he’d been following. “He provided me with the Wolfsbane ingredients after that.” He sighed. “Franziska doesn’t know.” Edgeworth finished, his voice soft.

“Oh.” Phoenix had mixed feelings. On one hand, he was glad that Edgeworth was able to continue making Wolfsbane, even after his father’s death. He assumed that it would be pretty hard for a twelve year-old to get his hands on those potion ingredients, especially on such a consistent basis. But Professor von Karma wasn’t the sort of support that Phoenix had been imagining. Putting aside the man’s general unpleasantness—he seemed intent on sending as many werewolves to Azkaban as he could.

Phoenix couldn’t imagine why Edgeworth would be an exception. If he even was.

“I know that’s not what you meant when you told me to ‘tell someone’.” Edgeworth said dryly, complete with quotation marks. “Still, I thought I should correct you.”

“…Thanks for telling me.” Phoenix replied. Even if Edgeworth was trying to play it off as ‘correcting’ him, it was still something about himself that he’d shared. It felt like a step in the right direction. “And my offer to help still stands.” Phoenix shrugged.

Edgeworth looked down at his hand, then back at Phoenix. “I’ll think about it.”

“We were friends once, you know?” Phoenix said. He wasn’t sure why he said it, exactly. Was it an explanation for why he was doing all of this? A hope? A question? He wasn’t sure. Maybe it was all of the above. Phoenix had never been the greatest at psychoanalysis. Especially on himself.

“We were.” Edgeworth lightly rubbed his wrist, the one Phoenix had grabbed earlier. Phoenix felt himself relax at the words. He’d needed that confirmation more than he’d realized.

“I’m sorry for trying to pants you.” Edgeworth said.

Phoenix snorted, his hand automatically trying to cover his mouth and the ugly laughter that was tumbling out. “Don’t try it again, and I guess we’ll call it even.” He managed to get out eventually.

“Alright.” Edgeworth smiled. For the first time since he’d come back to Hogwarts, there wasn’t one ounce of sarcasm or cynicism to it. It was small smile. Really, it was just a slight lift at the right corner of his mouth. But it was genuine.

It was the best sight Phoenix had seen all week. Green hair and all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yule Ball shenanigans are up next. I'm not sure whether to keep the entire thing two separate chapters like I originally planned, or make them into one giant chapter. Because otherwise I'm worried that the next two chapters will be too short on their own. Then again, I always seem to write more than I expect to. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope everyone's enjoying the holiday season!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHH, WE'RE HALF WAY THERRE... OoooOHH LIVING ON A PRAYER.
> 
> *cough* okay. Sorry this was so late you guys! A lot of Things Happened. I've been really busy over the holidays (including writing [ this monster](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5270432/) for Christmas Exchange. 
> 
> Also, remember how I thought this section wouldn't be long enough on it's own?? HAHAHA I was wrong. Turns out this is one of the longest chapters so far. shows what I know.

It was no coincidence that Professor Armando was teaching them how to make Amortentia _exactly_ when everyone was becoming obsessed with finding dates to the Yule Ball. Phoenix was positive of that. He had a feeling that Professor Armando was one of those people who liked to watch the world burn.

There were excited giggles from all around the class after the professor announced they would be making the world’s most powerful love potion that day.

“Remember,” Armando continued, “Amortentia is incredibly dangerous—it’s use is banned in Hogwarts, and can be considered a criminal act in certain cases.” The warning felt disingenuous, especially when paired with the smarmy smile the professor had plastered on. “Now let’s get started.” 

Not for the first time, Phoenix wondered what sort of screening (if any) Hogwarts professors went through before getting hired. Maybe it was just Phoenix, but he didn’t think showing a bunch of hormonal teenagers how to make a love-potion _right before_ wizard prom was a good idea. But that was just his opinion.

Why Amortentia was even on their curriculum was another issue altogether. Though Phoenix couldn’t blame Professor Armando entirely for that. Phoenix was pretty sure that teaching Amortentia was a standard lesson for upper-class Potions. But that didn’t mean he had to be okay with it.

He sure didn’t understand why everyone else was so comfortable with the whole thing. Did no one else think it was creepy? A potion that was basically mind-control? It was kind of scary. Why the wizarding government allowed people to make it in the first place was a mystery.

No, most of the class seemed excited to make it.

And, okay, maybe Phoenix was _sort of_ curious about what he’d smell from the potion. Or what other people would smell, he thought while valiantly trying not to look at the spot in front of him where Edgeworth sat.

It was a good, if unsuccessful, effort.

Things were both better and worse with Edgeworth. Better, because Edgeworth was talking to him more. Voluntarily, even! He hadn’t smiled like that time after their duel, but he no longer made a face like talking to Phoenix was slowly giving him a hernia.

Worse, because Phoenix was making things…awkward. Or, well, weird. Not that their relationship wasn’t weird enough already. But now Phoenix was making things worse. Because the thing was? The thing was that his feelings towards Edgeworth were starting to edge out of the entirely-platonic territory. 

Ugh. It was terrible.

Edgeworth hadn’t noticed anything yet, of that Phoenix was pretty sure. But he would eventually, if Phoenix didn’t get this under control. And then?

 ** _Ugh_** , Phoenix didn’t even want to think about it.

Phoenix and his stupid feelings were ruining _everything_.

No, you know what? It wasn’t his fault.

Phoenix blamed the Yule Ball. Nearly all of his problems could be traced back to the Yule Ball. Stupid frigging wizard prom. And Larry. Larry and his stupid big mouth definitely had a part in this. 

_“Have you figured out your date for Yule Ball yet?” Larry asked, digging into some of the meatloaf that had been set on the Dining Hall for dinner._

_Phoenix frowned. “Um, not really?” He knew the Yule Ball was coming up in a couple of weeks, but it wasn’t something he spent a lot of time thinking about. He was a little more concerned about figuring out the clue for the next tournament trial. “Do I really need a date?”_

_Phoenix looked up to see all of his friends staring at him._

_“Of course you need a date!” Maya said, her hands planted down on the Dining Hall table._

_“Why?” Phoenix replied. “It’s fine if I go stag, isn’t it?”_

_“Oh my god.” Ema’s head was in her hands._

_“That’s so depressing, dude.” Larry said._

_“Why? What’s wrong with going stag?” Phoenix asked. His friends weren’t usually the type to judge someone for not having a date. And trying to figure out who to go with seemed like an unnecessary and stressful problem to add to his life._

_“Phoenix.” Mia said, her expression unimpressed. “You technically don’t need one. But it will look awfully strange for you to be by yourself when the Triwizard champions and their dates start off the first dance.”_

_“What?” Phoenix asked._

_“It’s a traditional part of the opening ceremony.” Lana said._

_“No...” Phoenix groaned. “Are you serious?” God, was he really going to have to dance in front of everyone? What type of dancing anyways? If it was anything more complicated than swaying in one spot, he was screwed._

_“It’s the Champion’s Waltz.” Mia said. “Ring a bell?”_

_“A waltz?” Phoenix replied weakly._

_His friends were all looking at him with various expressions of pity._

_“You’re so sad.” Ema frowned. Everyone else nodded in agreement._

_“Thanks for the support.” Phoenix said dryly. He rubbed his forehead. “So I actually have to get a date?”_

_“All the champions do.” Mia said, her tone slightly sympathetic._

_“I heard Celeste’s going with Juan Corrida!” Maya added, excited as she always was by the small bits of gossip that traveled around school._

_“And?” Phoenix still wasn’t sure why Juan whats-his-face was someone he should know._

_“I thought it was interesting.” Maya pouted._

_“Wait, Maya.” Phoenix had a sudden thought. “Why don’t **you** be my date?” He already knew that Mia and Lana were going together, so he couldn’t go with either of them. Going with the Yule Ball with Maya could be fun. Even if she wasn’t the best dancer, at least he wouldn’t be the only one to humiliate himself on the ballroom floor._

_“Oh…thanks, but no thanks.” Maya said, her face crunching up a bit in guilt. “I’m kind of…already planning on asking someone?” She pulled on one of her hair strands, blushing, but didn’t back down._

_“Fine.” Phoenix sighed, turning to his next choice._

_“No.” Ema said bluntly. “No way am I going to let the whole school watch as you step on my toes.”_

_“Hey!” Phoenix protested. “I could be a good dancer. You don’t know.”_

_Ema gave him a blank stare. She saw right through his bluff._

_“You might need a date.” Ema continued, “But there’s nothing stopping **me** from going stag.”_

_Phoenix sighed in dejection. He was quickly running out of options._

_“Larry?” He asked._

_“Look, buddy, you know I would but…” Larry shrugged, crushing the last of Phoenix’s hopes and dreams, “I got a couple of prospects lined up already!”_

_“Prospects?” Mia raised an eyebrow._

_“You know, cute girls!” Larry replied, smiling. “Slow dancing…mistletoe…the Yule Ball’s the perfect place for a date!”_

_“I’m doomed.” Phoenix said. None of his friends were available. The idea of going with anyone else was stressful. At least with his friends he knew he’d be comfortable and have a good time._

_“Aw come on.” Larry said “Why don’t you ask someone?”_

_“You have been more popular lately.” Lana added, lightly teasing. “Most people wouldn’t turn down the chance to be a Champion’s date”_

_Phoenix whimpered. Asking out a stranger did not sound like a good time. Especially if they were only interested in him because he was a champion. And then there was the whole complication of them thinking he wanted them to be his **date** -date._

_“You know, speaking of Champions…” Larry suddenly said, his voice mischievous in a way that Phoenix did **not** like. “I’m pretty sure Edgey doesn’t have a date yet.”_

_“Har, har, Larry.” Phoenix replied, deadpanned._

_“Edgeworth? Really? That’s your suggestion?” Ema added, scoffing._

_This only made Larry smile harder. “You mean you guys don’t know?”_

_“Larry…” Phoenix warned. Unfortunately, it didn’t do any good._

_“Nick’s only had a crush on him since forever.” Larry announced, officially ruining Phoenix’s life. “He pined for years after Edgey left!”_

_“Oh my god Larry, shut up.” Phoenix whispered. “People will hear you!”_

_“No way!” Maya gasped, sounding a mix of scandalized and delighted. Mia was the only one of his friends who looked completely unsurprised._

_“So it’s true?” Ema asked, eyes wide._

_“No!” Phoenix denied instinctively. Larry raised his eyebrows._

_Phoenix had many a regret over the years. But he never felt remorse so keenly as he did now: remembering the time in second year when he’d confided in Larry that he sort of-kind-of-maybe had a crush on Miles, and did Larry think Miles had figured it out and that was why he wasn’t responding to any of his letters?_

_“I mean…” Phoenix amended. “That was ages ago.” He hid his face in his hands as he muttered: “And I would barely call it a crush, anyways.”_

_“It was a gigantic crush.” Larry corrected, enjoying himself. “Humongous. Planet-sized.”_

_“Oh my god.” Maya tried to hide her grin behind her hand, but was unsuccessful._

_“It was annoying actually.” Larry said. “Those two were always going off together and leaving me behind so they could go canoodle!”_

_“Oh my god, Larry!” Phoenix practically screeched, mortified. “We were not ‘canoodling’! We were twelve!”_

_“So?” Larry sniffed. “I kissed Cindy Stone when I was ten.”_

_“You know that’s not how it was.” Phoenix whispered fiercely. ”And that’s—that’s not how it is now.”_

_Whether Larry couldn’t hear the seriousness in Phoenix’s voice, or was simply ignoring it, he continued with his teasing. “Sure it’s not.” Larry said, disbelief leaking out of every syllable. “Like you’re still aren’t super gay for him.”_

_Phoenix wanted to reply and say that the small childish infatuation he had for Miles was long gone. Last time he’d checked, it had been._

_But then he thought of Edgeworth—calling him ‘Phoenix’, rolling his eyes, joining in on Phoenix’s childish duel antics, gently holding the spot on his wrist that Phoenix had grabbed, and his smile, the real genuine one that Phoenix hadn’t seen since they were kids. And the words wouldn’t come out._

_There was that warm feeling again. One he hadn’t felt for years. It was different from what it had been, but familiar enough that Phoenix could recognize it._

_He had a crush on Miles Edgeworth. Again._

_“Phoenix? Are you okay?” Lana asked. How long had he’d been staring off into space?_

_Phoenix let his head slump onto the table in response._

_“Larry. You broke him.” He could hear Mia scolding. Phoenix kept his head down even as Larry protested. Though, from what Phoenix could make out, Larry did sound slightly guilty._

_“So he **is** still gay for Edgeworth?” Ema asked, as if they were discussing a question from class, and not Phoenix’s supposed love life. This was enough to motivate Phoenix into speaking again, since he didn’t want anyone to answer her._

_“Can we please talk about something else?” Phoenix weakly lifted his face off the table. “Anything?”_

_His friends were giving him another round of pity looks._

_“So. Yuleball.” Larry coughed. “You think we could sneak some Firewhiskey into that shindig?”_

Yeah, it was all the Yuleball and Larry’s fault. 

Okay, not really. But thinking that made him feel better.

Because this was terrible. The moment Phoenix acknowledged he might _like-like_ Edgeworth, it only got worse.

He couldn’t even kid himself into believing it was just the faded remnants of his childhood crush. Back then, Phoenix had liked Miles because he was smart, and brave, and sweet—if a bit awkward. And Edgeworth still had those qualities (except for sweet, as far as Phoenix could tell).

But—God, Edgeworth had grown up to be such an _asshole_.

And honestly? Phoenix was kind of into it. He hated himself for it, but he was.

Edgeworth would make some smart-ass comment and look at Phoenix with that smug smirk of his…and it was? Sort of hot? It made Phoenix want to rise up to whatever challenge Edgeworth was throwing at him. And, you know. Other things.

How had his life come to this?

And it wasn’t like there was a chance that Edgeworth liked him back. Did he even like guys? Would that include trans guys? It should, and Phoenix was pretty sure that Edgeworth wasn’t the kind of person to separate the two. But still, it was hard not to be a little insecure about it.

To be fair, Phoenix had a hard time picturing Edgeworth liking anyone. 

It would be a lie to say that Phoenix hadn’t spent an embarrassing amount of time this past week trying to figure out Edgeworth’s sexuality. He’d obsess about it, then he’d start to feel sleazy thinking so much about the sex life of someone he was trying to be friends with, try to stop thinking about it, and then the cycle would begin again.

And forget guys in general—what were the chances that Edgeworth would like _him_? For Merlin’s sake, what would happen if Edgeworth managed to figure out that Phoenix was interested?

He might think Phoenix was being a huge creep. How would that look? Phoenix hadn’t entered the tournament to get into Edgeworth’s pants or anything—he really had just wanted to help out a friend. Hell, he hadn’t even liked Edgeworth like that at the time! He wasn’t the type to have a crush on someone who was ignoring him. At least, Phoenix didn’t think he was. Edgeworth had been acting like a jerk then, and not the fun kind.

But what if it came off like that? Phoenix cringed at the idea of _anyone_ thinking he expected something from Edgeworth. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding happening like that wasn’t too far of a stretch. Edgeworth had thought Phoenix was trying to blackmail him at first, after all.

They’d been getting along a lot better now, though. Edgeworth was actually willing to talk to him, had stopped expecting the worst. At least Phoenix hoped so. 

But what if Edgeworth found out about his feelings, and all the hard work both of them had been doing to repair their friendship came tumbling down? That would be shitty. Honestly, Phoenix could deal with his feelings being one-sided. It was kind of what he was expecting anyways. But he definitely didn’t want to screw up his chance at having Edgeworth as a friend again.

Maybe Phoenix could bring up the crush he had when they were kids, and see how Edgeworth reacted to that? Except, their shared childhood was still kind of a rocky subject. Also, that was super awkward.

He was screwed. That’s all there was to it.

“Are you paying any attention?” Dahlia’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Huh?” Phoenix asked.

“You haven’t been watching me make this at all, have you.” Dahlia said. While Phoenix had been thinking, Dahlia had pretty much finished the Amortentia.

“Oh. Not really. Sorry.” Phoenix apologized. The potion in their shared cauldron had a pearly sheen, with smoke slowly spiraling out.

“I don’t really care.” Dahlia stated matter-of-factly. “You’re the one who’s going to be screwed during our exams. I only need you to tell me how the potion smells.”

“Wait, what?” Phoenix asked. “Why don’t you smell it?”

Dahlia glared at him. “I’m sick, you asshole.” Oh, yeah. Now that she mentioned it, her voice did sound a little clogged up. And her nose was red. “I need to make sure I made it right, and since you haven’t done anything this class…”

“Okay, okay. I get it.” Phoenix replied. He obediently bent down towards the cauldron. He was pushed back by Dahlia’s hand before he could get any further.

“Waft the smoke, you idiot!” Dahlia scowled. Her sinuses really did sound stuffed up. “You’ll ruin the potion if you stick your whole face in like that!”

“Should you go to the nurse?” Phoenix asked. Dahlia only rolled her eyes, so he quickly dropped it. Maybe it was mean, but Dahlia’s health was not the hill he was willing to die on. The easiest way to stop her mood from worsening would be to do what she said.

So he wafted the potion’s steam, as instructed, and breathed in the smoke.

“Well?” Dahlia asked. “Does it work?”

“Gimme a second.” Phoenix replied, taking in another deep breath. “Oh.”

“What? What is it.” Dahlia was clearly more irritable than usual. But colds tended to do that to you. “What are you smelling?”

“It’s…wow, it’s kind of weird.” Phoenix replied, trying to figure out how to best describe it. “It’s like, like a bunch of different things at once.” Phoenix took another breath. “It keeps switching but, what I can make out is—peaches? Like, freshly cut peaches. And then it sort of, I guess, blends into…” Phoenix frowned. “Tea? Not the bitter green stuff your mom likes. But it’s not sweet either. What is it—Earl Grey I think?” The realization that this was the tea that Edgeworth had preferred since he was a kid was enough to make Phoenix want to stuff his head into a box and never come out. But he valiantly continued on. “And the smell, you know, that’s around right after it rains?”

“It works then.” Dahlia nodded. “But you didn’t have to go into such detail, you know.”

Phoenix could feel himself blushing. Why hadn’t she said that before? He would’ve just said it worked if he knew she would’ve accepted that. He’s pretty sure the people around them, which included Edgeworth, could hear what he was saying.

“I was trying to be helpful.” Phoenix replied. But Dahlia wasn’t paying attention to him anymore, instead working on the paper assignment Professor Armando wanted them to turn in before the end of class.

“It’s called ‘petrichor’ you know.” Phoenix almost jumped when he heard Edgeworth. He was posed casually, hand supporting his chin while his elbow rested on the opposite side of Phoenix’s table. “The smell in the air after it rains.”

“You heard that?” Phoenix couldn’t stop himself from asking. Of course Edgeworth had heard. Their tables were right next to each other.

Edgeworth nodded, not looking too bothered by what Phoenix had said earlier. Maybe he hadn’t made the connection with the Earl Grey tea? Sometimes the universe handed Phoenix small mercies.

“How’s yours going?” Phoenix asked. Hopefully the embarrassment he was still feeling wasn’t too obvious.

Edgeworth shrugged. “It’s setting now.” He tilted his head behind him, towards his own table. “I have Kay watching over it.”

As if summoned, Kay began to call for him. “Edgeworth!” She practically squeaked. “Edgeworth, the potion’s all messed up!” 

The cool and casual demeanor Edgeworth had been presenting immediately vanished. “Wait, what?” He almost fell with how quickly he snapped back into an upright position. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Kay replied. “You must have screwed up, somehow.”

“I did not!” Edgeworth looked mortally offended at the accusation. “Let me see.” He made the short walk back to his table. Phoenix, for lack of anything better to do, followed. (Well, he could start cleaning up his table or working on the paper assignment, but there was still a bunch of class time left. And this sounded much more interesting.)

Edgeworth looked at the potion, and then back at Kay. “There’s nothing wrong with it.” He scowled. Phoenix had to admit, their potion didn’t look any different from the one Dahlia had made.

“Yes, there is!” Kay insisted. “It smells super gross.” She waved some steam at Edgeworth for emphasis.

Edgeworth blinked as the cloud passed over him. Then he frowned. “No it doesn’t.” He said.

Kay’s face cringed in disgust. “It smells like horse shite.”

“Well,” Edgeworth said, “maybe you’re attracted to horse shite.”

Phoenix couldn’t help it, he snorted at that. He might’ve been imaging things, but he thought Edgeworth’s smirk curved higher at the sound.

“How do I know _you’re_ not the one attracted to horse shite?” Kay retorted.

Edgeworth rolled his eyes. “Because that’s not what I’m smelling.” The argument had barely started and he already sounded long suffering. He shook his head as Kay continued to look suspicious. “Look,” he said, moving closer to their cauldron to breathe in more smoke, “I’ll show you.”

Edgeworth’s forehead creased in concentration as he focused on whatever smells the Amortentia was giving him. After a few moments he moved away from the potion and turned back to Kay. “I’m telling you, the potion works fine. I can smell spilled ink, freshly pressed linen, a campfire, and hot chocolate.” He spouted off quickly. Then, as he listed off the last two descriptions, Edgeworth’s face turned sour.

“Okay, if that’s true,” Kay replied, “why do you look like you just swallowed a lemon?”

“That,” Edgeworth said, his face still curling into itself, “is completely unrelated.”

Phoenix figured there was an easier way to settle this. He made quick work of smelling their potion for himself. “It works, Kay.” He said, trying to give an encouraging smile. “It smells just like the one my group made.”

This only made Kay’s face fall. “Then why can’t I smell it?”

“Having a bit of trouble, are we?” Professor Armando had approached the table. 

Phoenix wasn’t the hugest fan of Armando but, he had to admit, the man did check on students if they were having problems. Sure, it was accompanied by snarky comments (and the guy had a tendency to act like he knew them personally, way more than Phoenix was comfortable with), but his actual teaching wasn’t too bad. 

Professor Armando examined Edgeworth and Kay’s potion, even taking a few breathes of the smoke himself.

“Ahh.” He sighed happily. “The bitter aroma of coffee blend #102. Dark enough to hide all manners of demons who wish to hide in the very edge beneath the surface…” 

There was a pause, like there always was after Professor Armando said something weird. Sometimes Phoenix wondered if they were meant to use the break to laugh or contemplate what he said. Phoenix usually did neither.

“I don’t see a problem here.” Armando continued after a moment. “This Amortentia is, perhaps, a bit more overbearing then what may be considered standard. But I see little else wrong with it.”

“But…” Kay protested, less aggressive with their professor than she was with Edgeworth but still firm, “it smells disgusting to me. Isn’t it supposed to be good?”

“Ah, I see the issue here.” Armando nodded. “It would seem, Miss Faraday, that you are one of the scarce people able to sense Amortentia’s true nature.”

Kay’s forehead creased in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You are one of the chosen few who smell this potion as it really is—a sickly obsession masquerading as love.” Armando smirked. “If you drank it, you’d suffer the effects the same as anyone else. But the potion’s smoke is unable to sense anything within you it could use to attract.” 

“So…” Kay replied, “let me get this straight: it smells gross to me because I’m not ‘attracted’ to anything?”

“That’s one way of putting it, yes.” Armando agreed.

Kay scratched her head, her face crunching as she thought about it. It took her less than a minute to nod. “Okay. Yeah. That makes sense.” Then she lit up with a smile, pointing a finger at Edgeworth. “That means I was right! It does smell like horse shite!”

Edgeworth sighed. “I don’t know how I feel, knowing the potion’s ‘true’ scent is so…displeasing.”

“Yeah.” Phoenix said. “Kind of puts a whole damper on the ‘best-stuff-I-ever-smelt’ thing.” 

“You’ll learn as you grow older,” Professor Armando said philosophically, “the sweet lure of a flower can mask an inner rot.” Then, lesson and strange metaphor imparted, he walked away.

Phoenix waited until Armando was out of ear-shot before asking, “Does he come up with those on the spot, or do you think he has a book of them?”

Phoenix felt happier than he probably should have when Edgeworth let out a small huff in amusement.

~

It was only a few days later when Kay’s ability to smell Amortentia unexpectedly came in handy. Like Phoenix predicted, teaching teenagers how to make fancy love potions was a terrible idea. But he couldn’t have foreseen how bad.

The morning was fairly quiet, everyone eating their breakfast in the Dining Hall as usual. Phoenix was listening to Maya make plans for when her and Mia’s cousin Pearl came to visit for Winter Break.

Iris had told Maya (the only one of their group who could seem to get Iris to talk, these days) that her mother was willing to let Pearl come to Hogwarts, instead of the Feys going back to Kurian for Christmas Break. Things were a bit busy with the tournament going on, so Misty Fey had been asked to stay behind and help to watch the grounds while the other professors were occupied. Christmas didn’t have the same significance in Kurain as it did in the United Kingdom, so Phoenix guessed Morgan Fey wasn’t too bothered by the idea of spending the holiday in Hogwarts.

Mia had checked in with her and Maya’s mom and confirmed that both Pearl and Morgan would be coming up. Pearl, Iris had told Maya, was especially excited to see the Yule Ball. She’d have to stay with her mother the entire time, and she’d only be there for the first half (since she wasn’t allowed to be up too late), but she was happy to go nonetheless.

Phoenix was excited too. He hadn’t seen or heard from Pearls since summer. Morgan could be weird about who got to talk to Pearl and, since Phoenix wasn’t a Fey, he definitely wasn’t allowed to send her any owls. Not unless he wanted to get in trouble.

He was in the middle of asking Mia if she thought it’d be okay for him to take Pearl out to Hogsmeade and get some sweets with her when The Incident happened.

The Incident, as Phoenix labelled it in his brain, could basically be summarized like this: Suddenly, from out of the blue, a scream came from the Durmstrang table. The scream was then followed by a loud clanking noise as a plate crashed onto the ground.

The ruckus was loud enough to make everyone in the Dining Hall turn to its source. Phoenix didn’t see the actual event happen, only it’s ending scene—Edgeworth sitting in shock, Kay’s hand still in the air, and a sad piece of jammed toast lying beside a broken plate on the floor.

The entire Dining Hall went quiet as everyone stared at the Durmstrang table. It took over a minute, followed by Franziska yelling at everyone to “Stop gawking like fools!”, before the Dining Hall returned back to its usual noise level.

It only took about half an hour for the gossip around Hogwarts to try and piece together what had happened.

Apparently Edgeworth, sitting at the Durmstrang table besides his sister and Kay like he always did, was just about to eat toast that he’d lathered with his own personal jam (apparently, Edgeworth didn’t think very highly of the jam Hogwarts provided). Then, right before he ate it, Kay had screamed and shoved the toast out of Edgeworth’s hand, knocking aside his plate as well.

Why, exactly, Kay had decided to do that was up for debate. Some of the more popular theories floating around the castle were that they were having a lover’s spat, she had emotional problems, she spotted some sort of poison in his food, or she saw a spider on his toast. Or some strange mixture of all of the above.

Phoenix was planning on asking Edgeworth about it himself, the next time he saw him. 

To say he was surprised when Edgeworth approached him first would be an understatement.

It was Phoenix’s free period and, for once, neither Ema, Lana, nor Mia were around to make him study. Phoenix was taken advantage of this reprieve by resting on a windowsill and eating crisps.

He was enjoying his break immensely, when Edgeworth unexpectedly appeared in front of him.

“Where did you get those.” Edgeworth asked, his eyes narrowed on the bag of crisps in Phoenix’s hand.

“Um.” Phoenix stopped mid-bite. “I picked it up from the kitchens, I guess?”

“So no one gave it to you?” Edgeworth asked. He was acting weirdly intense about a snack. Then again, Edgeworth was serious about the weirdest things.

“Nah, I grabbed it myself.” Phoenix replied, shrugging. He held the bag out towards Edgeworth. “What, do you want some?”

The tension in Edgeworth’s shoulders leaked out a bit. Then he did something complexly unexpected. He sat by Phoenix on the window-ledge and, after pausing for a moment, actually took some of the offered crisps. 

“You know,” Edgeworth chewed morosely, “you should start being more careful about what you eat.”

“Okay.” Phoenix replied. He wasn’t sure how to react in this situation. This was probably the friendliest Edgeworth had been since he got here. Phoenix hadn’t even been the one to initiate the conversation. Which meant that Phoenix wasn’t sure if he should ruin the moment by trying to ask Edgeworth about what had happened earlier that morning.

But Edgeworth glanced at him and, like he’d read Phoenix’s mind, said, “Someone snuck Amortentia into my jam.” He huffed in disgust. “I would’ve been a goner if Kay hadn’t recognized the smell.”

Phoenix almost choked on his crisps. “What? How the hell did that happen?”

Edgeworth’s chin was in his hand. “I accidentally left some personal belongings unattended a few days ago—they must have contaminated the food then.” He sighed. “I should’ve been more careful, with the Yule frenzy going around.”

Phoenix was still trying to get over his shock. “Someone _actually_ tried to poison you so you’d be their date?”

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s not really the first time someone’s tried to pull such a thing on me. Though, admittedly, it’s usually not something as strong as Amortentia.”

“That’s fricken awful!” Phoenix replied. Sure, he knew that Edgeworth was popular. He had eyes after all. And he’d even heard some stories from Maya about how people had tried to use dirty methods, such as using Franziska, in order to get Edgeworth’s attention. But it was almost surreal, actually being confronted by the reality of it.

“You’ll need to be careful too.” Edgeworth said, his tone turning serious again. “You’re a Champion as well, after all.” 

Phoenix coughed as he nearly inhaled his crisps. Eventually he was able to get his breath back. “What, you really think someone’s going to love-potion me into going to Yule Ball with them?” Phoenix chuckled weakly.

Edgeworth frowned. “I don’t see what’s so funny about that. It’s a real danger.”

“I mean, for you I guess.” Phoenix said. “You’re….you know,” he waved his hand, “popular.”

Edgeworth was glaring. “That doesn’t mean—”

“But okay, okay.” Phoenix interrupted. “I won’t eat any random gift chocolates, if it makes you feel better.” He still didn’t think he was likely to be a target, but he also didn’t want to start an argument. It was a simple enough thing to do, and Mia would probably want him to do the same if (or when, really) she found out about the whole Amortentia incident.

“Good.” Edgeworth huffed, eating a few more of Phoenix’s crisps. And Phoenix tried very hard not to read too much into that, that even in his paranoia Edgeworth had eaten something Phoenix had given him. ( _He doesn’t think you’re going to try and mind control him with a love potion_. Phoenix thought deadpanned to himself, _truly you two are meant to be._ ) 

“There is a reason I came over here, you know.” Edgeworth said, after he finished eating. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Oh, yeah? What about?” Phoenix replied. 

Edgeworth didn’t respond right away. Instead he sighed, and turned his gaze towards his lap instead of at Phoenix.

Just when Phoenix was starting to wonder what it was Edgeworth wanted, he finally spoke.

“What’s your opinion on Veritaserum?” Edgeworth asked.

“The truth serum?” Phoenix replied, confused. That had come out of left field. He’d been expecting a question related to the tournament, or even (in some small ever hopeful part of Phoenix’s brain) something about the Yule Ball.

But Edgeworth nodded. “Yes, the truth serum. I wanted to…” Edgeworth paused, closing his eyes tightly for a moment before turning back to Phoenix with purpose. “If you were ever accused of a crime you didn’t commit, would you still refuse to drink it? Even if it could prove your innocence?”

Use of the truth serum was strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic. It was rarely used, considering the ethical issues brought up by its very existence. Even if someone was willing to take it if, like the hypothetical situation Edgeworth was giving, they were an innocent being a victim of a crime—there were still other things to consider.

The Ministry wouldn’t allow Veritaserum to be administered if there was any proof that a particular wizard or witch had the means to resist it. Those who are adept at Occlumency, after all, are still able to lie even under the serum. Even if that weren’t the case, use of the truth serum in court could be easily overruled. After all, the potion made people tell the truth as _they_ saw it, and not necessarily what was empirically true. So testimony induced by the potion was only considered when there was evidence to back the testimony, or in rare cases where there was very little evidence to begin with. 

That meant Veritaserum was only used by the Ministry when several conditions were met: First, there was no evidence that the defendant has a means of resisting the serum. Second, the testimony would act as supporting evidence, or as a last resort when nothing was available. And third, the defendant was willing to take the potion in the first place.

“So…like, if I was allowed to take it and prove I was innocent?” Phoenix asked, trying to get a better sense for Edgeworth’s hypothetical situation.

“Yes.” Edgeworth said. “Everything’s been cleared. All that’s needed is your agreement.”

“Huh.” Phoenix hummed thoughtfully. “I’ve never really considered it, I guess.” The answer seemed pretty simple. Who wouldn’t take the serum if it would prove them innocent? But there was something holding him back.

Edgeworth waited patiently for Phoenix’s answer.

“They could ask you anything they wanted, couldn’t they?” Phoenix said, half to himself and half out loud. Sure, maybe there’d be some kind of signed agreement that stated they couldn’t ask him anything that didn’t have to do with his case. But that wasn’t a great guarantee. 

And what if something about animaguses came up, just randomly in conversation? Those under the influence of Veritaserum aren’t able to stop themselves from telling the truth. One innocent comment and, suddenly, Phoenix was blabbering all about being an unregistered animagus! Off to Azkaban he’d go.

Or god, what if someone started asking about werewolves? Would he be able to stop himself from giving away Edgeworth’s secret? Phoenix doubted it.

“I don’t know.” Phoenix said eventually. “I don’t think I would want to chance it—I don’t like the idea of being vulnerable like that.”

“Even if refusing meant you were sent to Azkaban?” Edgeworth asked, tone intense. Phoenix didn’t understand why Edgeworth was asking about this, but it was clearly important to him. Which meant Phoenix would do his best to answer honestly. 

“If I was only putting myself at risk, maybe…” Phoenix replied. “But it’s not just my secrets, you know?”

“I see.” Edgeworth said. He looked subdued.

Phoenix, deciding to take a chance, nudged his shoulder lightly. “What’s all this about anyways?”

Edgeworth leaned further back into the windowsill. “I never understood it, why he refused to take the Veritaserum.” A soft sigh left his mouth. “If he was actually innocent…then why?”

Phoenix turned more towards Edgeworth, trying to silently convey that he was listening. He had questions he wanted to ask, but now seemed like a bad time to interrupt. Besides, it felt like Edgeworth was trying to build up to something.

“I even sent a letter to him a few years ago—Yanni Yogi, that is.” Edgeworth said. “I asked him why he didn’t take the potion, among other things.”

Suddenly his questions made sense. Phoenix remembered reading, in his research, how Yanni Yogi’s refusal to take Veritaserum and testify served to condemn him further in the eyes of the public. With how little evidence there was in the Dl-6 case, a truth serum testimony had been cleared. But Yogi refused, casting further suspicion on himself.

“He responded, though I wasn’t exactly pleased to hear what he had to say.” Edgeworth added. “It sounded ridiculous to me. The ravings of a man who’d spent too long in Azkaban’s cells.”

“What did he say?” Phoenix asked, trying to keep his tone soft.

“Funnily enough, something similar to what you did.” Edgeworth chuckled, though it was devoid of any real humor. “He claimed he was protecting his fiancée, a werewolf, like he was. But one who had avoided registration. Little good it did her.” He added somberly. “Apparently she killed herself not long after he was imprisoned.” 

“Oh.” Phoenix didn’t know what to say.

“The rest of his letter was filled with nonsense,” Edgeworth waved his hands in emphasis, “so I thought it was better not to trust the first half.” His hands slowly fell down into his lap. Edgeworth glared at them intensely. “But now…I wonder if there was more truth to it.” His voice crept into a whisper, so that Phoenix could barely hear: “To all of it.” 

“Edgeworth?” Phoenix asked, concerned. “Did something happen?”

Edgeworth was still staring at his hands, silent.

“Don’t look so grumpy!” A new voice said from close by, causing Phoenix to nearly jump from where he sat.

“I’ve been considering your offer!” Kay was standing in front of them now, hands on her hips.

Edgeworth looked up from his lap, blinking out of his daze.

“I’ve got conditions though.” Kay added, before suddenly seeming to notice Phoenix was there too. “Oh, hey! What’s up?” She smiled cheerfully.

“Hey Kay.” Phoenix replied, returning her grin with a slightly smaller smile.

“What conditions?” Edgeworth said. He still sounded subdued, but at least he was talking now.

“Aww, don’t tell me you’re still depressed about Franziska?” Kay smirked. “I mean, you can’t blame her for not wanting to go to Yule with her brother. That’s just, like, common sense.”

“You asked Franziska?” Phoenix turned to Edgeworth, incredulous. 

“I was sick of people asking me or—or trying to poison me into being their date. Taking her would’ve been a simple solution.” Edgeworth replied matter-of-factly, though he was blushing slightly, embarrassed. “Kay, do you have a point?” He asked snidely.

“Patience, patience.” Kay said. “I’ve decided I’ll be your date— _if_ , when people ask, you introduce me as: the Amazing Kay Faraday who’s only going with you as your 100% platonic friend.” She pointed a sharp finger towards Edgeworth. “You gotta say the whole thing, every time!”

Edgeworth looked at her blankly, before dragging his hand slowly down his face. “Fine.” 

“The whole thing!” Kay emphasized. 

“Yes, okay.” Edgeworth replied gruffly. “I heard you.” He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Anything, to get these people to stop.” 

“Awesome!” Kay laughed. Phoenix couldn’t help but chuckle a little himself, though the whole debacle reminded him that he needed a date as well.

“Now hurry up, we’re gonna to be late for Herbology!” Kay said, pulling Edgeworth of the windowsill.

 _Oh_ , Phoenix checked his watch, _free period **is** almost over_. It was about time to start heading towards his Charms class.

“Talk to you later I guess?” Phoenix said to Edgeworth as he stood up from his seat.

Edgeworth nodded, and then Kay was pulling him off to the opposite side of the castle.

~

It was almost uncanny how Phoenix’s own Yule Ball problem was solved later that night.

He was hanging in the Hufflepuff Common Room with Larry, both of them trying to work on their homework for once, when Maya waltzed in.

“Well Nick, I’m yours this Yule!” She announced dramatically. “I just got rejected.”

Phoenix closed his text and glanced up in concern. “Oh Merlin, I’m so sorry.” He said automatically. But, on closer look, Maya didn’t seem that upset.

In fact, she looked rather cheerful for someone who’d been turned down.

“Oh, it’s fine.” Maya smiled. She even did a small twirl right before lounging happily on one of the Common Room couches.

Even Larry looked concerned at this point.

“Are you, um, sure?” Phoenix asked, not sure what else to do.

“You’re acting kind of weird.” Larry helpfully added.

“Rude.” Maya retorted, sounding a little more normal. “I told you, it’s okay! Franziska already promised she’d go with someone, that’s all.” Maya was smiling again. “It was cute, actually! She got all flustered, going on about this whole plan she had to help out her friend. And then!” Maya added excitedly, cupping her face. “Then she promised me a dance and kissed me on the cheek!”

“Nice!” Larry said, equally excited.

“Congrats, I guess.” Phoenix smiled and shrugged awkwardly. He wasn’t really surprised that Franziska was the one Maya had asked out. He’d kind of suspected it already. But he didn’t really understand what sort of ‘plan’ the Durmstrang girl was doing. And he doubted Maya would explain it if he asked.

But Maya was happy, and that was the important thing.

“So, yeah.” Maya continued, still smiling. “I’m free to be your arm candy, Nick.”

Phoenix frowned at that description. “You don’t have to be my date if you don’t want to Maya.” He said. “I’ve been thinking actually… what do you guys think of me asking Iris?”

His friends responded with silence. He probably should’ve expected that.

“Not…like that.” Phoenix explained. “But I’ve been noticing she hasn’t been hanging around as often. Maybe inviting her would help with that?”

Maya sighed. “I know what you mean, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Yeah, I know.” Phoenix shrugged. “But I’m not sure what else to do. If I can do anything? I kinda feel like it’s my fault she’s cut herself off from the group…”

“I think she just needs time.” Maya smiled sadly. “Also,” she said more cheerfully, “I’m not about to let you step on my cousin’s toes with all your bad dancing! At least my feet are big enough to handle it.”

“Alright, sounds good.” Phoenix agreed, deciding Maya probably knew Iris best. They slept near each other in the Hufflepuff girl’s dorm, so she was the one who still had the most contact with her.

“Darn right it does!” Maya said. “But I’m definitely going to ditch you when Franziska wants to dance—heads up.”

“Somehow I’ll survive.” Phoenix retorted, slowly returning back to his homework.

Larry was being surprisingly quiet, but Phoenix figured it was because his History of Magic essay was giving him trouble.

~

That was the end of that, until Phoenix received a note from an owl a few days later.

The note read: _May I talk with you? I’ll be waiting at the entrance of the Astronomy Tower around eleven o’clock this evening._

Phoenix had no idea who it was from.

Most of the people who’d talk to him knew his cell phone number. So it was either someone who didn’t have his number, or who didn’t own a cellphone at all.

But to be fair, not everyone at Hogwarts had updated to muggle phones yet.

Still, with things being as they were, Phoenix guessed that the paper was from either one of his (supposed) fans, or (and this seemed more likely) Edgeworth. 

Maybe it was optimistic thinking, but Edgeworth seemed like the best bet. Phoenix knew that neither he nor his sister had cell phones. Which wasn’t surprising, considering the stance von Karma had on muggles. And there was something bothering Edgeworth, he could tell.

If Kay hadn’t interrupted them before, would Edgeworth have told him already? Maybe. Either way, Edgeworth was the type to try and arrange private conversations. And wasn’t the Astronomy tower near the Ravenclaw dorms? Sure, Edgeworth hadn’t been a Ravenclaw for years, but those sorts of associations were hard to completely forget.

He was so sure of his prediction that he almost didn’t register it when he found Iris waiting for him instead.

“Oh, Iris. What’s up?” Phoenix tried to hide his surprise. It wasn’t that he wasn’t _happy_ to see Iris or anything, it was only…he felt a bit wary. Iris had been avoiding him for months, and now she arranged this secret meeting? It didn’t bode well, was all.

“Hello.” Iris gave a little nod of her head in greeting. Her hands were continuously clenching and unclenching fistfuls of her robes nervously, but she maintained eye contact. “I wanted to let you know—Larry has asked me to the Yule Ball.”

“Oh.” Phoenix hadn’t been expecting that. “Okay?” 

Iris was biting her lip. “I told him…that’d I’d think about it. But, ” she glanced away, “I wanted to check with you first. I know Larry’s one of your good friends, and if you’d rather I wasn’t there…I’ll tell him no.”

“What?” Phoenix said. “Iris, what are you talking about? Why wouldn’t I want you there?”

Iris was looking at him again, her expression drooping mildly in confusion. “Last summer—”

“Iris,” Phoenix couldn’t stop himself from interjecting, “none of that was your fault! I’m the idiot who got everything so messed up.” He stopped, suddenly seeing Iris’ behavior painted in a new light. “Is this why you’ve been avoiding everyone except for Maya?” This felt worse than Iris trying to avoid Phoenix for her own sake. He could’ve understood that. But doing it for him? He didn’t deserve that sort of consideration, and he definitely didn’t want it.

Iris took a deep breath, as if preparing herself. “I knew, sometimes. I knew you thought I was Dahlia. And I didn’t say anything. Because I…” her voice was staring to wobble, “I was happy, when you—when you paid attention to me. It wasn’t right, letting you think I was her…”

“Iris…” Phoenix stood there awkwardly.

“I’m sorry.” Iris said, tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. “I’ve never apologized for that…”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything, really.” Phoenix told her, but it didn’t seem like Iris was listening.

“Larry said that you were worried about me.” Iris sniffed. “About how I’ve been distant. Larry thought all four of us—you, Maya, and him and I—could go as a group. We could all go as friends.”

Phoenix was surprised, but then felt bad. For all of Larry’s faults, he could be incredibly considerate when the time called for it.

“I’d like that.” Phoenix replied, genuine.

That only seemed to make Iris feel worse. “I don’t deserve this—not after what I did.” She was fully crying now, to the point where tiny hiccups were interrupting her words.

“No, no, Iris.” Phoenix slowly approached her, laying a hand on her shoulder once he was close enough. “I’m the dunce who messed this up. I’m the one who always assumed you were Dahlia…Who does that?” Phoenix chuckled sardonically and then grimaced. “I didn’t even think to ask! God, if I’d just gotten off of my delusional-infatuated high horse for a minute…it would’ve been obvious.”

Iris was still crying, but she relaxed slightly at his touch. Phoenix tried to ignore the own tears gathering in his eyes, both from watching her and remembering how much of a self-centered jerk he’d been.

“I’m sorry I didn’t see you.” Phoenix said.

“I’m sorry for not correcting you.” Iris replied, starting to calm down.

“We’re both sorry then.” Phoenix laughed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his wrist. “How ‘bout we start over? I’d like to be friends, if that’s alright with you.”

Iris nodded and gave him a small warm smile of her own.

“So yeah, feel free to say yes to Larry.” Phoenix said. “Only if you want to though. I know he can be a bit of a handful.” He chuckled.

“I think he’s sweet.” Iris said, still smiling. 

“Yeah, yeah he is.” Phoenix agreed, wiping at his eyes again.

“…Perhaps I should let you go.” Iris said after a moment. “I apologize for bringing you out of bed so late.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Phoenix waved her concern away. “You’ve apologized enough to me today.” 

The movement made Phoenix catch sight of his own wrist—specifically the one which the bracelet form the tournament was wrapped around.

“Besides!” Phoenix said, “I’m pretty sure you’ve helped me figure out the clue for the next trial!’

“Oh my!” Iris covered her mouth in surprise, leaning in to get a better look.

The bracelet had gotten a few drops of Phoenix tears on them, and seemed to almost be melting. The brown material was starting to drip off into a thick liquid. Phoenix angled his hand to help the streams of goo move faster. There was something beige hidden inside the bracelet, which held in place even as the material around it was disappearing.

Once it started, the whole process only moved faster. Pretty soon all of the brown stuff, liquid or not, was gone—leaving a very small folded piece of paper left in the space the bracelet had been.

Trying to be gentle (the paper had the beigey super old look to it), Phoenix unwrapped the note.

Written in golden spidery handwriting was:

_Whisked away in hidden caverns below,_

_You’ll soon join this sad treasure trove, ___

_Either silver crown, golden rose, jade vase,_

_These only you may properly place,_

_Together missing warnings you must collect:_

_Any hands which touch azure will lead to death;_

_You’re only salvation lies above ground,_

_Or else in tears you all shall drown._

“That’s cheery.” Phoenix huffed, unable to help himself.

“What does it mean?” Iris asked, looking concerned by all of the mentions of dying.

“I have no idea.” Phoenix shrugged. “Oh well.” He tucked the note into his robes. “I can deal with that later.”

He gave Iris a reassuring grin. “Let’s go back to our dorms. I know the best ways to avoid Gumshoe.” Phoenix tilted his head in the direction of a short cut he knew.

Iris paused, but then nodded. “Lead the way, then.” She smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay! Up next is the actual Yule Ball and, after that, the second task! Woot! 
> 
> Sorry guys, but I think it might be three weeks again till the next update. Maybe, maybe not. I'm about to have a huge schedule change, so I don't know yet how my writing time will be affected. It might not be affected at all! But, just in case, I thought I should give you all a heads up.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS. Sorry this took a while. But I figure, since it took me twice as long as usual to update this, it should be alright because this chapter is twice as long as usual too! Right? Anyways. Enjoy wizard prom.

Pearl and Morgan Fey arrived at Hogwarts about a week before Yule.

Classes had officially ended, so there was a general sense of relief throughout the entire castle. Like every year, Hogwarts was emptying out as students left for Christmas break. The process this winter was slower than it had been in previous years, as most of the students who were eligible to go to the Yule Ball were staying behind so they could attend.

It was weird for Phoenix, who was used to being one of the few kids staying behind during break. He’d gotten an invite to spend Christmas with the Fey family in Kurain last year, but had declined due to the lingering awkwardness of the whole Mistaking-Iris-for-Dahlia fiasco.

But this year, the entire Fey clan was coming to Hogwarts.

Phoenix hadn’t been able to be a part of the ‘welcoming committee’ when Pearl and Morgan had arrived. This was mostly because Phoenix did his best to avoid Morgan Fey, who’d never been too impressed with him and who was, admittedly, kind of scary.

But he was able to see Pearls not too long after she’d arrived. Mia and Iris were the ones Morgan usually put in charge of watching over Pearls when she was busy, since Mia was the oldest and Dahlia didn’t seem very interested in her half-sister (at least not enough to watch over her like Iris did).

It worked out well enough for Phoenix though, since Mia and Iris weren’t as weird as Morgan about who Pearl got to see. As long as one of them was with her, Pearl was allowed to go anywhere in Hogwarts.

Which, at this moment, meant bringing her to the Middle Courtyard.

“Look how big you’ve gotten!” Phoenix couldn’t help but say when he finally saw Pearl.

She’d grown at least half an inch, though she was still very short. Everything else about her was the same, from her elaborate hairstyle to her traditional Kurain robes. Though, admittedly, her robes looked like a heavier and warmer version of what she’d worn in the summer.

“Mr. Nick!” Pearl cheered happily, running from behind Iris’s legs towards Phoenix once she spotted him. Phoenix bent down towards the ground so he could catch her in a hug.

“I haven’t seen you in ages, Pearls.” Phoenix grabbed her. “How’ve you been?” He asked, trying not to yelp when Pearl returned his hug with gusto. Her grip was surprisingly strong for a six-year old.

“Oh, Mr. Nick.” Pearl pulled back, eyes filled with wonder. “I never knew Hogwarts was so _big_.”

“Sorry it took us a while to get here,” Maya said, putting a hand on her younger cousin’s head indulgently, “she kept wanting to stop and look around.”

“Like you weren’t just as star-struck the first time you came to Hogwarts.” Mia teased.

“I never said it was a bad thing!” Maya replied before turning back to Pearl. “There’s still so much stuff we gotta show you, Pearly!” She picked up Pearl and gently swung her around, much to her cousin’s delight.

“Miss Maya! I am going to get dizzy!” Pearl giggled. Maya obediently placed her back on the ground.

“Psst, Nick.” Phoenix heard Larry whisper from nearby. “What’s with the ‘Miss’ and ‘Mr.’ thing the kid keeps doing?”

Both Lana and Ema looked confused as well. Phoenix had forgotten that this was the first time any of them had met Pearl in person. They wouldn’t be used to Pearl’s way of talking like the rest of them were.

“It’s a translation thing.” Phoenix explained quietly. “She knows English pretty well for her age, but she’s used to speaking Japanese when she’s at Kurain with her mom. So Pearls has a hard time using people’s names without any polite suffixes or anything—even her Japanese is pretty formal, actually.”

Lana and Ema both nodded in understanding, but Larry still seemed a little lost.

“Don’t worry too much about it.” Phoenix directed at Larry. “It’s just how she talks.”

“Are you sure it isn’t too cold out here for her?” Lana asked Mia, looking concerned. While Pearl did have winter robes on, it was noticeably lighter than what the rest of them were wearing. And it was pretty cold, the courtyard covered in a thick layer of snow which had fallen early that morning.

“Oh, don’t worry about Pearly!” Maya said. “She’s the best at warming charms! Right, Pearl?”

Pearl suddenly seemed to realize that there were people around who she’d never meet before and became withdrawn, edging back towards Iris.

Iris lightly covered the hand Pearl was using to grab at her robes. She gave her sister a reassuring smile before addressing the rest of them. “She’s very good.” She assured everyone.

“She’s already able to use organized magic like that?” Ema asked, impressed.

“Aunt Morgan’s very proud of her.” Mia replied. “She’s practically a prodigy when it comes to Charms.”

“That’s so cool!” Larry said, excited. He bent down so that he was closer to Pearl’s eye level, though he kept the distance that Pearl had put between them. “Do you wanna show us a trick, then?”

“Um…is—is that okay?” Pearl asked, looking between Mia and Iris as if asking for permission. Both of them nodded encouragingly.

“Al—alright.” Pearl said. She moved slightly away from her sister, though she kept one hand firmly attached to her robes. Then she straightened herself and, very purposefully, wiggled her nose. The motion caused a hot wave of air to move out from the center of her body and out through her clothes. Though Phoenix wasn’t very close to where she was standing, he could still feel the slight temperature change in the air surrounding Pearl.

“Oh, wow.” Ema gasped. “All that without a wand or verbal incantation!” Lana and Larry were similarly awestruck.

“Holy hell!” Larry said, then cringed when he realized he’d sworn in front of a child. “That’s really impressive, kid! When I was your age, all I could do was spit out fireworks. And that was only when I had the hiccups.”

“Oh! Um, thank you! Mr…?” Pearl said, still a little shy.

“Larry Butz!” Larry held out his hand. “Nice to meet ya!”

Pearl finally let go of Iris’s robes and, after a moment of hesitation, grabbed a few of Larry’s fingers (as much as her small hands could wrap around) and shook them up and down.

“Nice to meet you as well, Mr. Butz.” Pearl replied.

This seemed to open the flood gates—with Ema and Lana introducing themselves to Pearl, who shook both of their hands as well.

A moment after Lana introduced herself, Pearl gasped in excitement. “Oh my!” She covered her mouth with her hands. “You’re Miss Mia’s special someone, aren’t you? Miss Maya told me all about you!”

“What?” Lana asked. Her face was slowly turning a bright shade of red, and she looked the most off-footed Phoenix had ever seen her.

“Oh yeah, Pearly!” Maya said, “I forgot to tell you! Lana and Mia are officially going out! They’re each other’s Yule dates.”

“Oh my!” Pearl became delighted. “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you Miss Mia.” Pearl gazed at her oldest cousin, clearly overwrought with emotion.

Mia looked miserable. In what appeared to be a mixture of embarrassment and irritation, she turned towards Maya with an accusing glare. “Have you been gossiping about Lana and I to Pearl?”

“Pearl asked me if you liked somebody ages ago.” Maya shrugged, unashamed. “And you were a little obvious, no offense.”

“Oh my god.” Mia put her face into her hands, mortified.

“Did I…say something wrong?” Pearl asked, frowning.

“No, no. You’re fine.” Lana said, laying a hand on Pearl’s shoulder. “You’re right, I am Mia’s ‘special someone’.”

Mia peeked through the fingers covering her eyes to see Lana smiling softly at her. Mia returned it with a besotted smile of her own.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Pearl sighed in relief.

“Alright, enough gushiness.” Ema said. “You guys wanna make snowmen or what?”

“Agreed.” Maya nodded. “Hey, Pearly, wanna help us out?”

“Yeah! Come join us Pearls! You too, Iris.” Larry added in excitement, “You wanna help me make a little miniature snow-Pearl?”

“Oh!” Iris said, looking almost surprised to be directly invited. “Oh, okay.” She started to smile, then glanced down at her sister. “If that’s alright with you, Pearl…?”

Pearl nodded happily and, together, they headed out to the middle of the courtyard where Larry, Ema, and Maya were starting to pile up snow.

Phoenix was just about to join them when he felt someone pull on the back of his robes.

“Not you.” Mia said, frowning. “I need to talk to you about the next tournament event.”

“Ah, seriously?” Phoenix pouted. He was hoping Mia and Lana would be too caught up in each other again to bother him.

Apparently that wasn’t the case, going by the serious looks both of them were wearing. Curse their stupid practicality. Where were teenage hormones when you needed them?

“We’ve been looking over the riddle you were given.” Mia said. “And I think we’ve figured something out.”

“Do you remember what it said?” Lana asked. Both she and Mia had wanted him to memorize the riddle that had been hidden inside his bracelet, just in case the paper was ever lost.

“Yeah, yeah.” Phoenix waved his hands. “I gotta get a crown, a rose, a vase, and I can’t touch the color blue. Something like that.” He didn’t have the complete thing memorized yet, but he remembered the gist of it.

Before either of them could glare at him, Phoenix took out a piece of paper he’d copied the riddle onto (the original was hidden safely in the jewelry box under his dorm bed) and handed it to Lana.

Phoenix listened as she carefully read out the now-familiar words:

_“Whisked away in hidden caverns below,_

_You’ll soon join this sad treasure trove,_

_Either silver crown, golden rose, jade vase,_

_These only you may properly place,_

_Together missing warnings you must collect:_

_Any hands which touch azure will lead to death;_

_You’re only salvation lies above ground,_

_Or else in tears you all shall drown._ ”

When Lana finished, she looked at Mia, who nodded.

“We’re pretty sure the poem is suggesting you work with the other champions.” Mia said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

“Wait, really?” Phoenix replied. He knew the Triwizard Tournament was _theoretically_ meant to improve relations between the schools, but in practice the tournament only seemed to make the rivalries worse. Sure, sometimes the champions would work together on a challenge. But he’d never heard of cooperation being an integral part of a task, like Mia was suggesting.

“ _’ **Together**_ ’ you need to collect warnings.” Lana pointed out, “And there are other suggestive words here. Like _‘Any hands’_ or _‘you **all** shall drown’_.”

“I guess.” Phoenix admitted.

“It might be a good idea to ask the other champions what their riddles look like.” Mia suggested. “If they have something different, then we’d have more information to help figure out the next task.”

“It’s possible your clue acts as the ‘ _warnings_ ’ you’re asked to collect.” Lana said, handing back the paper Phoenix had written his riddle on. “If that’s the case, then comparing all of your clues is the next step.”

“Alright, yeah.” Phoenix glanced back over the riddle. “It might be tough getting them to show me though.”

The last time he’d asked Edgeworth to help him out in the tournament, they’d gotten into a fight. But that had been about how to open the bracelet. Now that Phoenix knew it was opened with tears, he could maybe understand why Edgeworth was reluctant to tell him. (And well, Phoenix wondered what had made Edgeworth cry in the first place, but he doubted Edgeworth would tell him).

Then again, Edgeworth seemed to be more open lately. Maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to get him to share his clue? Especially if Phoenix showed him his own as well.

But there was still Celeste. Phoenix was pretty sure she wouldn’t be open to helping him at all.

But she still had her bracelet on, didn’t she? At least, she had the last time Phoenix had seen her. Maybe if he offered to tell her how to open it, she’d be willing to exchange information? It’d be worth a try, anyways.

“Yeah okay, I’ll try and see what I can do.” Phoenix nodded.

“Please do.” Mia said. “You drowning would put a huge damper on studying for my N.E.W.T.s.”

“Always good to know you care.” Phoenix replied dryly. He was trying to think of a wittier come back when he felt a tug on the back of his robes.

“Oh, Pearl!” Phoenix said, seeing who the little hand gripping his clothes belonged to. Pearl had snuck up right behind them all without them noticing. Did she hear what they were talking about?

Hopefully not. While they couldn’t stop Pearl from knowing Phoenix was in the tournament, Mia told him they were trying to keep how dangerous it was a secret from her.

“Mr. Nick…” Pearl tugged on his robes again. “Could you help me make a snow angel?”

Phoenix tried not to let his relief show at the innocent request. She probably hadn’t heard them, then.

“Sure Pearls! We’ll make the best one Hogwarts has ever seen!” He said, letting Pearl lead him to where everyone else was playing in the snow.

~

Pearl was overjoyed to learn that Maya and Phoenix were going to Yule Ball together. No matter how many times they tried to tell her they were only friends, she refused to listen. In her six-year-old brain, being someone’s Yule date was the equivalent of being engaged.

(“Why don’t you just tell her you like Franziska?” Phoenix had asked, following an incident where Pearl looked like she was going to cry after seeing Phoenix talk to an unfamiliar girl. Nothing had even happened! Phoenix had only wanted to know if they had any Charms homework to do over break.

“Or,” Phoenix had continued, “why isn’t she like this with Iris and Larry? Or Lana and Mia? They’re going to Yule too. Hell, Lana and Mia are even dating!”

While Pearl was very happy about Lana and Mia’s relationship, she didn’t seem to devote the same intensity to it that she did to Phoenix’s and Maya’s non-existent one.

Maya had sighed. “Yeah, I’m sorry dude. I don’t really think there’s anything I can do.”

“I’d like to tell her about Franziska but…you saw how she gets about couples. Or crushes, even.” Maya frowned. “It’s pretty likely she’d end up saying something, and then it might get around to Franziska’s dad.”

“Pearl could keep a secret.” Phoenix said. Sure, she was young, but he thought it was a little unfair to think Pearl would gossip or talk about something Maya had asked her not to.

“She can.” Maya acceded. “But she’d want to know _why_ it’s a secret.” She then gave Phoenix a tired look. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t really feel like explaining the whole concept of homophobia to her until I absolutely have to.”

Phoenix cringed. “Okay, that makes sense.” A lot of kids weren’t lucky enough to grow up in a place like Kurain where, for all of its emphasis on tradition, there was a very accepting atmosphere for LGBT people. That kind of happened when your town and family was founded by two lesbians, one of whom was a trans woman. But it was an attitude which, unfortunately, wasn’t as common amongst the rest of the wizarding community.

Phoenix could get Maya wanting to shelter Pearl from _that_ aspect of the outside world for a little while longer.

“And the reason why she isn’t like this with the others…it’s pretty obvious.” Maya shrugged. “Pearly doesn’t know Larry or Lana that well. _You’re_ the one she wants to join the family. She doesn’t want you to leave us.”

Maya put up her hand to stop the protests Phoenix had already half-formed. “I’m not saying you’re going to.” She said. “But Pearls doesn’t know that. To her…the only way to make sure you’ll stay is if you marry one of us. It’s going to take some time for her to stop thinking like that.”

“Oh.” Phoenix hadn’t known what else to say. It was hard to get annoyed with Pearl, knowing the reasons behind her enthusiasm.

“I’m not marrying you though. Bottom line.” Maya said, sticking out her tongue.

“Yeah. Agreed.”)

After that, Phoenix decided it was better to stay quiet and tolerate Pearl’s constant monitoring of his and Maya’s “relationship”. Maya seemed less bothered by it than he did, but she wasn’t the one being watched by the entire school. It took far too little time for the rumors about him and Maya dating to spread.

Rumors which both he and Maya shut down, whenever Pearl wasn’t present. The best thing they had going for them was that most of Hogwarts didn’t really care about their relationship—real or not.

At least all their friends were having a good time laughing about it.

And, well, it was sort of cute. It was hard to be mad at Pearl about her enthusiasm, even as she “subtly” suggested themes they could have for their so-called wedding.

Especially when Phoenix knew it was more about trying to include him into her family, in the most permanent and official way she knew. (And, he supposed, he had to be thankful for the fact that during the whole Iris/Dahlia summer, Pearl was still too shy around Phoenix and too young to understand what was going on. He wasn’t sure what would’ve happened if that hadn’t been the case).

Still, Phoenix had been practically mortified when rumors about him dating Maya reached Professor Misty Fey.

He didn’t know what he’d been expecting when Professor Fey had called him into her office, but it certainly hadn’t been for her to ask: “What are your intentions with my youngest daughter?”

Phoenix nearly died right then and there. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time for him to come up with a reply.

Professor Fey continued to stare at him, her gaze unwavering.

“Oh—um, we’re only friends! I swear!” He practically squeaked.

There was a heavy pause in the office room. Neither of them said anything. Professor Fey was still staring, and Phoenix was starting to sweat.

It was only after Professor Fey broke face and started to chuckle that Phoenix realized he was being teased.

“Even if that’s the case,” Misty Fey smiled, still chuckling slightly, “I thought it’d be a good idea to make sure you’re well dressed.”

She then got out a long black box from underneath her desk and pushed it towards Phoenix.

“Oh my god.” Phoenix breathed out. There were dress robes inside. Really expensive-looking dress robes.

He touched the fabric inside, still in disbelief. It was soft. He traced the small designs sewn all across the material. Phoenix thought they might be constellations. The main color of the robes was a deep blue—cobalt, if he wanted to be more specific.

“I thought the blue matched your eyes.” Misty said. Phoenix automatically brought a hand up towards his right eye, which was actually closer to a brown color. “Well, one of them that is.” Misty corrected, chuckling.

“…Professor Fey. You really shouldn’t have.” He said, still in a state of shock. “Not that they aren’t beautiful but—isn’t this too much?” Phoenix tried to smooth out the wrinkles he’d already put into the fabric.

Phoenix had never thought he’d own robes as nice as these. He knew he’d need fancy dress robes for the ball, but he thought he’d be getting something less…expensive looking than the ones Professor Fey had given him. Phoenix had done a variety of jobs at Kurain over the summer—and he’d been planning on using that money to either rent robes or to buy them from a second hand shop.

“It’s really kind of you…” Phoenix said, determinedly closing the box, “But you don’t need to do this for me.” He pushed the gift back towards the Professor.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Misty scoffed. “I bought them because I wanted to.”

“If you’re going to have my daughter on your arm,” Misty pushed the box right back into Phoenix’s arms, “I’d like the make sure it’s a well-dressed one.”

Phoenix stared at the gift, unsure of how to react. He was almost certain Professor Fey would’ve given him the robes whether Maya was his date or not.

“…Okay.” Phoenix said, starting to recognize Professor Fey wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

It’d been two years, but Phoenix still wasn’t used to how willing the Fey women were to help him— _him_ , a person who they had absolutely no relation to.

There was no real reason for Mia to offer her help the very first night they’d met in the prefect’s bathroom, or for her and Maya to befriend him, or for Misty Fey to invite him to Kurain over the summer, or for Iris to be so willing to forgive him for his mistakes—but they did it anyways.

“Thank you.” Phoenix said. “Really, thank you. You’ve…I’ve always appreciated how much you and your family have done for me.” He didn’t have the words to express just how much their kindness meant to him. The words he’d managed to get out were enough on their own to put a frog in his throat. “I just. Really, thank you.”

“Oh, Phoenix.” He thought he heard Professor Fey sigh quietly. Then she reached across the desk and laid a hand softly on his arm.

“Anytime.” Misty said. “You only need to ask.”

Phoenix nodded. He held the box closer to him and got out of his chair, knowing he’d probably start crying everywhere if he didn’t leave soon.

Professor Fey watched him leave with a gentle smile.

~

It didn’t occur to Phoenix to show Maya what his dress robes looked like, so that they could match their outfits. Apparently the reverse didn’t occur to Maya either.

Pearl was horrified when she saw them dressed up and ready for the night of the ball.

“But you don’t match!” Peal said, genuine worry in her voice. Phoenix didn’t think it was too bad.

Maya’s dress was a dark purple, held up by a neck strap. It was short and cute, with a style that was more flow-y than form-fitting. True, it didn’t match up too well with the blue of his dress robes but...weren’t blue and purple sort of complementary?

“Aw, come on Pearly, don’t be like that!” Maya chuckled. “What’s most important is that we look good, right?” Maya followed this with a short twirl, showing off her dress.

“And it’s not like we’re clashing.” Phoenix added helpfully.

“I suppose.” Pearl admitted, though she still sounded disappointed. Her face suddenly brightened as she thought of something. “Oh! I guess you also have your um…flower-thing?”

“Corsage!” Maya provided helpfully, pointing to the arrangement of blue and white floral-shaped-ribbons wrapped around her wrist. Phoenix was suddenly very, _very_ , grateful Mia had possessed the foresight to get him a corsage for Maya—he’d completely forgotten about it.

“Yeah, your corsage!” Pearl said, excited. “So you are both wearing blue, I guess.”

This seemed to appease Pearl, which Phoenix was grateful for. Now all they needed was for Larry and Iris to finish up, and they could head off to Yule.

Larry was having issues putting his corsage on Iris. He’d decided to make his own, resulting in a gigantic arrangement of paper flowers, feathers, and even some beads. It was admittedly pretty, in its own way, but it looked like it was too heavy to stay on properly. Iris and Larry were currently trying to figure out a way to make it stay on her wrist, without damaging the art. It was taking a while.

That was the only thing holding them up. Otherwise, both Larry and Iris were dressed and ready to go. Iris was wearing a dress fashioned after the traditional Kurain style, in a kimono dress with small pink flowers laid over a royal purple background. Larry was dressed in similar colors, though in inverse—his robes being pink with purple accents (with a few orange splashes that seemed a little out of place, in Phoenix’s opinion).

Phoenix hated to admit it but Pearl was probably right. Even though Larry and Iris’s styles clashed a bit, at least they were color coordinated. Placed next to them, it was kind of obvious that he and Maya hadn’t planned their outfits together.

Oh well. It was just one night, and Phoenix wasn’t the type to care too much about fashion anyways.

Finally, after what seemed like _hours_ , Iris and Larry were ready to go. From what Phoenix could tell, they ended up finding a spell to make the corsage stick to Iris’s wrist.

“You guys ready?” Larry asked excitedly, a thumbs up in the air.

“We’ve been ready for ages.” Maya groaned.

“Perfection takes time!” Larry protested. Mostly to himself, since everyone else seemed ready to move on.

“Are you ready, Pearl?” Iris asked, holding out her hand. Pearl nodded, grabbing onto her sister and leading all of them towards the ball.

Even with all the time Larry’s corsage had taken up, it seemed like they were able to get there on time. Which was good, considering Phoenix was scheduled to start the opening Champions’ dance.

The Great Hall was crowded, though not so much so that they couldn’t find the rest of their friends.

They’d already claimed a table for all of them, one towards the outer edges of the room.

“What took you guys so long?” Ema asked, frowning. She’d been in the middle of writing something in her ever-present notebook, but tucked it away (in the white jacket over her sleeveless green dress, which presumably had other knickknacks smuggled inside) once she saw them approaching.

“I’m sorry, I think that may be my fault.” Iris replied. She glanced nervously down at the large corsage stuck to her wrist. Luckily the spell seemed to be sticking.

“Don’t worry about it.” Mia said. “You haven’t missed anything yet.”

“Of course not! They can’t start the party without me!” Phoenix boasted. When this was meet with silence, he added. “You know. Because I’m part of the opening dance.”

“Unfortunately.” Lana said. Mia chuckled at the joke, making Lana smile proudly to herself.

Lana and Mia, the only real couple in their group, were also (unsurprisingly) the best matched date. They had apparently both decided on burgundy for their dresses, though they were each made in different styles. Mia’s dress flared out at her waist, with a slit that went slightly past her knee. Phoenix had never seen that sort of cut on a layered dress before but—well, he’d never claimed to know much about fashion, and Mia seemed satisfied with it.

Lana’s dress was made in a more classical style. It had a neck strap, like Maya’s, but the dress itself had more of a long and sleek fashion.

Phoenix wanted to make a joke about how this was the first time he’d seen either of them without a scarf on, but decided to hold his tongue. Both of their purses looked heavy enough to pack quite the punch.

They’d all sat down and were starting to make conversation when Professor McGonagall approached their table in order to collect him and Maya. Apparently they were meant to be sitting at the Head Table, with the headmasters and the rest of the Champions.

“Sorry, Professor.” Phoenix shrugged sheepishly. “I guess I totally forgot.”

“It’s perfectly alright, Wright.” McGonagall replied. “I’m sure everything will be fine—as long as you haven’t forgotten the Champion’s Waltz as well.”

The Professor was already walking back towards the Head table, so she didn’t see Phoenix gulp nervously.

(It wasn’t that he’d forgotten, really. He knew the Waltz, _theoretically_. It’s just. It was hard, sometimes, keeping up with beat.)

“Well, this is great.” Maya pouted. “Now I gotta sit next to von Karma-grumpy pants instead of you guys.”

“Good luck with that.” Ema scoffed. She stopped when Lana gave her a mildly scolding look.

“I think it may be good for them.” Phoenix heard Pearl whisper to Iris. “They can have some private time without us crowding them!”

“Off you go then.” Mia said. “You two can meet up with us after all the ceremonies are done.”

“You bet I will!” Maya replied. Then, quietly, she muttered sarcastically, “As if I’m gonna stay at our table all night.”

The Head Table was placed right at the front of the Great Hall, at the center of attention. Everyone else was already seated, making it incredibly obvious that Maya and Phoenix were the last ones to arrive.

The two spots left were in between Juan Corrida and Kay, the former who seemed to purposely be ignoring them and the latter of which who was excitedly waving at Phoenix and patting the chair next to her. Between her and the apparently-snobbish Corrida (and again, no matter how much Maya tried to explain it to him, Phoenix couldn’t understand why a Quidditch player who wouldn’t stop fighting with his own team member was such a Big Deal)—it wasn’t a hard choice to make.

“Hey you guys!” Kay said, the only person openly excited to see them. “What was with the hold up?”

“Phoenix couldn’t get his head on straight.” Maya joked, taking her seat beside him.

“Wow, thanks Maya.” Phoenix muttered. The comment was largely ignored.

“I’m Maya, by the way.” Maya introduced herself, holding out a hand (which Phoenix had to back away to make room for) towards Kay. “And that’s a really cute dress!”

“Thanks! I’m Kay.” Kay replied cheerfully. “And your dress is super cool too!” Like Maya, Kay had gone with a shorter styled dress, her own being a bright red color with a black flared ribbon tied around her waist.

Phoenix tried to tune out the two girl’s cheerful conversation, despite being stuck right in the middle between them.

At least they were having a good time. Everyone else at the table seemed more subdued. Well, except for Professor Oldbag, Phoenix had to admit. She was currently trying to have a conversation with von Karma and the Ministry Judge, seemingly unbothered by the fact she was powering the whole discussion herself.

And von Karma was paying _some_ attention to her, meaning he wasn’t glaring at Phoenix in disapproval. For now, at least. The Judge just looked like he was about to fall asleep.

Phoenix leaned back slightly, allowing Kay and Maya more room to talk, while also letting him see Edgeworth more clearly.

To be honest, Edgeworth’s dress robes didn’t look too much different from the ones he usually wore. The fabric might’ve been slightly fancier, but Phoenix wasn’t great at telling those things. His robes weren’t the same bright red as Kay’s, instead being the same magenta as always, but they were technically in the same color range. It was better matching than Maya and Phoenix, at least.

“Hey, Edgeworth.” Phoenix said, “Do you know when this thing officially starts?”

“Any moment now.” Edgeworth replied. “I think your headmaster is setting up the band as we speak.” He tilted his head in the direction of McGonagall, who was talking to the musicians the school had hired. Phoenix didn’t really recognize their name, but he knew some of the students were excited about having them.

Before Phoenix could think of anything else to begin a conversation with, he heard Kay gasp loudly right by his ear.

“Edgeworth…is that Franziska?” Kay asked, astonished.

Phoenix followed her line of sight to the Great Hall Entrance, where a new couple had just walked in.

The pair were both girls, one of them a pretty blonde wearing a long sparkly blue dress. The other one was Franziska. She was clad in a classic tuxedo—complete with a blue vest and tie to match her date.

“She looks amazing.” Phoenix heard Maya sigh dreamily.

“Oh no.” Edgeworth breathed out, so quietly Phoenix nearly didn’t hear it. Despite the verbal slip, Edgeworth’s face remained staunchly neutral. It wasn’t until Edgeworth began glancing at von Karma that Phoenix put together the reasoning behind his reaction.

Professor von Karma was staring directly at Franziska, and he did not look amused. Whether he was more off-put by Franziska’s female date or her outfit being _muggle_ -wear, in addition to menswear, was unclear.

Phoenix was anticipating an outburst of some sort. Which was why, when he heard the sound of glass hitting the table, he automatically assumed it was von Karma’s. But von Karma’s glass remained perfectly upright, untouched.

It was Celeste who had fumbled.

She was staring at Franziska and her date, eyes wide. Luckily, her glass hadn’t broken from the impact, only spilling the water inside.

“Wow.” Juan said, eyebrows raised. “I never pegged Adrian for a—”

“ _Shut up_.” Celeste practically hissed at her date. Then, as if nothing had happened, Celeste returned her cup to its proper position and began cleaning its spilt water with her napkin.

There wasn’t any time left to discuss Franziska’s grand entrance, as the next moment Professor McGonagall announced it was time for the Champion’s Waltz.

After that, Phoenix couldn’t focus on anything besides trying not to trip while dancing.

It helped that he and Maya had practiced the Waltz a few times. But neither of them were great dancers. Especially not Phoenix.

But they were getting by. Phoenix finally started to relax once the other students starting joining them on the dance floor. It lessened the amount of attention on him, even if he did have to now account for the dance area being more crowded.

If anyone was gathering attention during the dance, it was Franziska and her date.

They had swept onto the floor early on in the waltz, the two of them an elegant blue twirl. Phoenix wouldn’t be surprised to learn Franziska took dancing lessons.

“They’re so graceful.” Maya sighed with admiration. Phoenix had to agree.

And they weren’t the only ones sneaking glances at the pair. Phoenix noticed Celeste turning away from her own dance partner, giving Franziska and Adrian a glare so swift that Phoenix would’ve missed it if he’d blinked. Then she was back to ignoring them, looking as if she’d never been distracted from her dancing in the first place.

Why she would care, he didn’t know. He’d only noticed the glare in the first place because he was trying to catch a glimpse of Edgeworth and Kay.

“Nick! Pay attention.” Maya whispered after he had stepped on her toes for the second time in one minute.

“Sorry, sorry.” Phoenix apologized, going back to looking at their moving feet. He shouldn’t keep getting distracted. He wasn’t a good enough dancer for that.

Still. It was hard to resist looking.

“Don’t look so worried.” Maya said, squeezing his shoulder slightly. “I doubt you’ll get any competition from that end.”

“Huh?” Phoenix asked.

Maya rolled her eyes, chuckling softly. “With Kay and Edgeworth I mean. Pretty sure nothing’s actually going on there.”

“That…that wasn’t why I was—”

“Sure it wasn’t.” Maya interrupted, disbelievingly. “You’re totally obvious, you know.”

“Whatever. Shut up.” Phoenix sighed. He didn’t think he could successfully argue with her and dance at the same time.

He _knew_ Kay didn’t have a crush on Edgeworth or anything. Between the Amortentia thing and her insistence on being called his ‘platonic date’, that much was clear. But it wasn’t whether or not she liked Edgeworth that was important, was it? Phoenix really only cared about whether or not Edgeworth liked _her_.

He had asked her to Yule Ball, after all. True, he said it was to avoid his weird fans, and he did ask his sister first. But, still?

Those arguments probably wouldn’t help his case. At all. ‘Oh no, Maya, I wasn’t looking at them at all! But on that note—do you think he likes her maybe? Just curious’.

Better to just admit he’d lost this round.

Phoenix couldn’t help but feel relieved when the Champion’s Waltz ended. Once the music officially stopped, it was time for dinner. Phoenix didn’t get the point of opening with a dance and then taking a break to eat—why didn’t they just eat first and then dance? But it was tradition to start with the waltz, so they’d start with the waltz.

At least he got his food pretty quickly. The Champions and their dates were second in line to eat, right after the professors and the chaperons.

“I take it back.” Maya sighed happily. “Having to sit at the Head table is _totally_ worth it. We get first pick!” She wasted no time in putting as much food as she could on her plate.

“Hey, you should leave some for everyone else!” Phoenix joked. Even considering Maya’s (rather impressive actually) stomach, he doubted the Ball would run out of food.

“First come first serve.” Maya replied, adding another slice of steak onto her plate for emphasis.

They walked back to their table to find Kay sitting in Phoenix’s spot.

“So we don’t have to talk over your head anymore!” Kay said while she motioned for Maya to sit. “You can take my seat, Phoenix.” She added with a grin.

“I’ve found that humoring her tends to be the less exhausting option.” Edgeworth shrugged.

Well, Phoenix wasn’t going to argue _against_ sitting next to Edgeworth. Still, he could do without Maya giving him such a smug look. He went the mature route and ignored her.

And if he was a little happy about how easily Edgeworth accepted the seat change, then…that was his own business.

True to their word, Kay and Maya used the new seat arrangements to continue talking—in between bites of food of course. Sometimes at the same time. Neither girl seemed to care too much for food etiquette.

Which was a little out of place, considering the crowd they were in. Everyone else was eating ‘properly’, from what Phoenix could tell. Everyone else also seemed pretty tense.

Phoenix wondered if there was something he could talk to Edgeworth about, to dispel the quietness a little. But he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to be so openly friendly with Edgeworth in front of his mentor.

Phoenix wasn’t afraid of Professor von Karma. But _he_ wasn’t the one who’d have to deal with it if von Karma got upset at them being too ‘buddy-buddy’. Especially if he was already irritated about the whole Franziska thing. The Durmstrang Headmaster hadn’t even glanced up when Phoenix and Kay had switched seats, but he didn’t want to push Edgeworth’s luck.

Which was why he was so surprised when, apropos to nothing, Edgeworth asked him, “Did you get my owl?”

“Huh?” Phoenix asked, before realizing what Edgeworth was referring too. Phoenix, like Mia and Lana suggested, had asked Edgeworth whether or not he’d be willing to exchange their clues for information. Edgeworth had responded by sending an owl with a written copy of what his clue.

(It was almost exactly the same as Phoenix’s, save for a few specific lines. Instead of ‘ _Either silver crown, golden rose, jade vase/These only you may properly place_ ’ Edgeworth’s had read, ‘ _Either golden goose, sapphire ring, wooden chest/These only you may properly set_ ’. And instead of it being ‘ _Any hands which touch azure will lead to death;_ ’ Edgeworth had ‘ _Any hands which touch virescent will lead to death_ ’. Both which supported Mia and Lana’s theories that the clues were the ‘warnings’ the Champions were meant to collect.)

But why Edgeworth was asking about this now, Phoenix didn’t know. Of course he’d received the owl. Edgeworth would know, since Phoenix had sent back the owl with a copy of his own clue. Unless he didn’t receive it?

“You got my response, didn’t you?” Phoenix asked, slightly worried.

“Yes. I did.” Edgeworth said. “Sorry, this isn’t really about that, necessarily…You have a mobile phone, right? The type muggles have?”

“Um, yeah?” Phoenix replied. He wasn’t sure where this was going. “I mean, I don’t have it with me right now, but yeah. I have one.”

“It’s just…” Edgeworth said, looking almost nervous. “If we’re going to be talking more regularly—owls can sometimes be unreliable, is all. And I’ve noticed how popular mobiles seem to be here at Hogwarts…”

“Oh!” Phoenix couldn’t help but smile. “You want to get a mobile?”

“They do seem rather efficient.” Edgeworth admitted.

He was so excited by the thought of being able to text or call Edgeworth whenever he wanted, he nearly forgot exactly who it was they were sitting right next to. Professor von Karma was extremely anti-Muggle, and Muggle technology (such as a mobile phone) was no different.

Phoenix was reminded again of how not-private his and Edgeworth’s conversation really was when the Ministry Judge added in his own two cents.

“Never could figure out those phone things myself.” The Judge said. “All those wires and all.”

“I believe you’re thinking of telephones.” Professor McGonagall corrected him. “Mobiles are a bit different. Completely wireless, I’m told.”

“I think they sound amazing!” Even Professor Oldbag was contributing now. “I think the problem with owls is that you can only fit so much onto one piece of paper—I’m constantly running out of room to write my messages, sometimes I have to fit in three or even four scrolls at once! And let me tell you, owls do not like to be weighed down. In fact, there was this one time with my brother-in-law’s owl—”

And then there it was—the thing Phoenix had been dreading: von Karma’s reaction.

“Ridiculous.” Von Karma huffed. No, to call it a simple huff wasn’t given enough credit. It was as if the last breath of patience he’d had finally gave way—an inevitable reaction when faced with the continued barrage of those he’d considered inferior to his self.

“I am retiring for the night.” Von Karma stood up, cane held un-movingly in hand. “Continue on with this nonsense if you must.”

He left then, not bothering to give a parting glance to any of them.

It was only a few seconds after von Karma’s departure when Oldbag let out a ‘hmph’ and went on with her story, “As I was saying, my brother-in-law’s owl, Dusty (because she always manages to get dirt and everything all over her white feathers, the poor dear), was supposed to fly over my response to my brother-in-law’s RSVP—”

It didn’t take long for Phoenix to tune her out.

He was a little more concerned about Edgeworth, who might have to deal with the fallout of their conversation later.

But when he looked over to see how Edgeworth was doing, he seemed surprisingly calm for having caused his mentor to leave in a fury. It was almost like he’d been expecting it.

And wasn’t it Edgeworth who’d brought the topic up in the first place? Within clear hearing distance of von Karma?

“Did you do that on purpose?” Phoenix asked him quietly, suddenly suspicious.

Edgeworth’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised Phoenix had gotten it so fast. Then he nodded. “It’s better for him to be upset with me, rather than Franziska.” The left corner of his mouth tilted in a smirk, one devoid of any humor. Edgeworth paused, as if considering something. “I am planning on getting a mobile though.” He said, lightly scratching the side of his face.

“Glad to hear it.” Phoenix grinned. “But a word of advice—don’t give your number to Larry. He texts non-stop.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind.” Edgeworth replied, his small smirk growing a bit more genuine.

The band was back to playing again, and people were slowly starting to enter back onto the dance floor. It didn’t take long for Celeste and Juan to get up and start dancing again.

Phoenix was almost afraid Maya was going to force him out again, but she was more interested in getting a second round of food.

“I think they put out some new desserts after we left!” Maya explained. “No way am I getting cheated out of that.”

“You gotta strike while the iron is hot!” Kay agreed, joining her.

Phoenix opted out, having eaten his fill the first time around. Edgeworth was of a similar mind. This meant they were left behind at the Head Table, the adults having gone to go and chaperon the students who were dancing.

They were barely alone for a minute before Dahlia suddenly appeared, magical camera in hand. She took a picture of the two of them, the flash blinding Phoenix’s eyes for a moment.

“Now this is sad. Two of the champions already abandoned by their dates? And it’s so early in the night too.” Dahlia said, sounding delighted. Unlike her sisters Pearl and Iris, who’re wearing traditional Kurain robes, Dahlia had on pink dress styled in a more modern fashion.

“Hi to you too, Dahlia.” Phoenix replied, rubbing at his sore eyes.

“Miss Fey.” Edgeworth greeted her dryly. “I didn’t realize you were the one in charge of taking photos for this event.”

“Someone has to do it.” Dahlia returned, laying on her sweetest smile.

“And what exactly is in it for you?” Phoenix asked. He’d known Dahlia long enough to recognize she’d never put effort into anything unless it benefited her in some way.

“I enjoy photography, is all.” Dahlia replied.

“Sure, that’s totally the only reason.” Phoenix said sarcastically.

“Oh Pheenie.” Dahlia put a mock-offended hand over her heart. “Not everything’s a conspiracy theory, you know. You really should relax a bit more.” She flipped her hair daintily and, having decided their conversation was over, left to presumably take pictures of other people.

“’Relax’ my ass.” Phoenix mumbled irritatingly.

He immediately felt chastised when he saw Edgeworth raising his eyebrows at him. “Is there something I’m missing here?” He asked.

“Me and Dahlia?” Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “That’s um…that’s a long story.”

“Oh?” Edgeworth asked, only looking more interested.

There was nothing in the world Phoenix wanted less than to explain his and Dahlia’s history to Edgeworth. God, he’d look like an idiot. Way to show your current crush just how badly you messed up with your last crush.

“I’ll tell you all about it some other time.” Phoenix said, hoping that’d be the end of it. He was one hundred percent planning on never delivering on that promise.

Desperate to talk about anything else, Phoenix looked around and tried to think of another topic. His eyes caught on Maya and Kay, still over at the buffet table. Apparently they’d stopped gathering food for a moment in order to talk to Franziska and Adrian.

“Will Franziska really be okay? With her dad?” Phoenix asked. “She’s making quite a statement, with the outfit and everything.” He’d been wanting to ask Edgeworth about it, and he’d figure now (when they still had the Head Table to themselves) was as good a time as any. “I mean, I think it’s great!” Phoenix added. “But I get the feeling it might not go over so well with Professor von Karma…”

Edgeworth sighed. “I thought she might do something like this. It’s why I brought up the mobiles.” He rested his chin in his hand. “She’s gotten more serious with her acting out. I’m not sure how much longer von Karma will be content to ignore it. I think he believes it’s a phase. Another way for her to try and gain his attention.”

“Oh.” Phoenix said. He wasn’t a stranger to the ‘it’s a phase’ mentality.

“In this case, at least, it’s better if he continues his habit of ignoring her.” Edgeworth was frowning now. “Franziska won’t like it, but it’s better than the alternative.”

Edgeworth didn’t state what the ‘alternative’ was, but it was all too easy for Phoenix to imagine a few worst case scenarios.

“What about you?” Phoenix asked. Edgeworth clearly cared about Franziska, and was more than willing to direct any anger von Karma felt away from her and towards himself. That much was clear. “Are you going to be alright?”

Edgeworth blinked, as if surprised by the question. His expression grew more somber. “Don’t worry about me.” He said.

Phoenix was about to tell him that _of course_ he was going to worry, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice call out.

“Mr. Nick!” Pearl ran up to his leg. At first Phoenix was worried something was wrong, but Peal’s face as she turned up towards him was smiling. “You and Miss Maya danced so beautifully together!”

“Hey Pearls, what’s up?” Phoenix said. He glanced around to see if there was anyone chaperoning nearby. Instead of Mia and Iris, like he was hoping, he saw Morgan Fey staring at him a few paces back. Phoenix glanced away the second their gaze met. Her eyes were always so _judgmental_.

“Do you know where Miss Maya is?” Pearl asked, distracting Phoenix from her terrifying mother. “I want to say goodbye to her before I go.”

“You’re leaving?” Phoenix guessed it made sense. It had to be sometime around nine or so, and Pearl was still just a little kid.

Pearl nodded. “Mother said I could say goodbye to everyone first.”

“Pearly!” Maya finally arrived back from the buffet line, as if she could somehow sense that her cousin wanted to see her. “You heading in for the night?” She asked, placing her re-filled plate on the table.

Pearl nodded, opening her mouth to speak before being foiled by a sudden and soft yawn.

“Well,” Maya said, “make sure you give me a goodbye hug before you do!”

Maya crouched down so she could tuck Pearl against her chest, and Pearl happily returned the gesture with a strong hug of her own.

Another yawn caught Pearl by surprise when they broke apart, followed by Pearl wiping tiredly at her eyes. The party had clearly taken a lot out of her, though she seemed to have enjoyed it.

“I think it’s time for you to go to bed, Pearls.” Phoenix said, and Pearl nodded quietly in agreement. The moment it was clear that Pearl was leaving their group, Morgan walked up to her and led her to the Hall’s exit.

“Was she the cousin you were talking about?” Kay asked. She must of arrived back at the Head Table sometime while Phoenix and Maya were distracted with Pearl. With her were Franziska and Adrian.

“She was very cute.” Adrian said, her voice gentle. It was the first time Phoenix had heard her speak. He’d been expecting someone similar to Franziska, but already she struck him as a person who was more soft-spoken.

“Yup! Pearly’s the cutest!” Maya posed proudly. “Sorry I didn’t get to introduce you guys…my aunt can be weird about who she gets to talk to.”

“Some other time then.” Adrian replied, seeming to understand.

“Where’s Papa?” Franziska asked. Her gaze swept over the empty chairs gathered around the Head Table.

“He left a little while ago.” Phoenix said.

Franziska frowned, unsatisfied by the answer, but Edgeworth spoke before she could say anything. “He stormed off, to put it more accurately.” There was a pause before Edgeworth continued, where Franziska seemed tenser than usual. “He overheard me talking to Wright about whether or not I should get a Muggle phone.”

The tension in Franziska leaked out at his explanation. “That was unwise of you.” Franziska sniffed. “You know how Papa detests such topics.”

“Perhaps.” Edgeworth admitted, giving a half-hearted shrug.

“Well. Now that’s been settled.” Franziska said, turning herself more fully towards Maya. “Miss Fey,” she held out her hand, “I believe I owe you a dance.”

“Oh!” Maya blushed happily. But she paused before taking Franziska’s hand, glancing over at Adrian. “Are you sure it’s alright?”

Adrian lightly chuckled. “It’s perfectly fine.” She straightened some of the ruffles in her blue dress. “I’ve been dancing for a while now. I think it’s time I powdered my nose a bit.”

Maya smiled. “Okay!” Then, more shyly, she asked, “Maybe…I can get a dance with you too when you get back?”

“Oh.” Adrian blinked, seemingly surprised at the invitation. “That-That would be nice, I think.” She smiled, nodding as she left.

Franziska’s face was smug, as if she’d always planned for the two of them to get along. The expression only dropped once Maya took her hand and lead them towards the dance floor. Only then did she start to look a bit nervous—though not unhappy.

“Ditched by my date again.” Phoenix joked, faking a dejected sigh.

Only Kay laughed, muttering “loser” before she began digging into her food.

“Celeste has finally stopped dancing.” Edgeworth said, pointing to Celeste, who was indeed walking away from the dance floor. Phoenix wasn’t aware he was supposed to have been watching her. “Now would be a good time to talk to her about the tournament.” Edgeworth explained.

After Phoenix and Edgeworth had exchanged their own clues, they had talked about the best way to get the same information from Celeste. Unlike them, Celeste had yet to figure out how to get rid of her own bracelet.

It had seemed like any easy enough exchange. They tell her how to get it off, and then she would tell them her version of the clue while they showed her theirs. Edgeworth had been the one to approach her (“She might take it more seriously if it comes from me.” He’d said. Phoenix had tried not to get offended at that. It didn’t work). But when he broached the topic, she had refused to listen.

(“She said she’d figure it out by herself.” Edgeworth had told him later, clearly annoyed by the rejection. “Pride like that could get us all killed.” He’d huffed.

“You’re not exactly the most humble person either.” Phoenix had been unable to resist pointing out. The offended glare Edgeworth had given him was hilarious. Totally worth it.)

“We’re only a few weeks away from the second event, and she still hasn’t gotten her bracelet off.” Edgeworth continued. “I’ve already tried talking to her. Maybe she’ll be more receptive if it’s you this time.”

“Ugh, fine.” Phoenix said. Sure, there were benefits to Edgeworth sort-of working with him on the whole tournament thing. But it also meant he had _another_ person besides Mia, Lana, and Ema bugging him about this stuff. “I’ll go talk to her.”

Phoenix followed Celeste, who seemed to be heading for the bathrooms. It was a good thing Edgeworth had spotted her moving, since she would probably go right back to dancing once she was done. It would be hard to talk to her on the dance floor, what with all the people and loud music.

The first-floor girl’s bathroom was outside of the Great Hall, located in a nearby corridor. Phoenix turned the corner and found the corridor empty. Celeste had presumably gone inside the girl’s toilet. Instead of going in there to find her, he thought it was politer to wait outside and catch her on the way out.

There was a couch placed conveniently right beside the bathroom entrance and, even though Phoenix had already spent most of the night sitting, he took a seat on it. He positioned himself towards the bathroom door, so it would be easier to keep an eye on who came and went. He didn’t want to miss Celeste by accident.

Phoenix had barely been there a minute when loud voices came from inside the bathroom.

“What the hell are you thinking? I thought we went over this—” Said one voice. It wasn’t exactly a shout, but it was loud and clear enough that Phoenix could hear it through the walls.

“We talked, Celeste. But you didn’t listen.” There was the second voice, which began soft but then became stronger. “You haven’t been listening to me at all. I told you, I’m tired of lying.”

Celeste was clearly having a private conversation with someone. Phoenix didn’t know what to do. If he left the corridor then he might miss Celeste, and he really did need to talk to her. He wasn’t _trying_ to eavesdrop.

“It’s not just your decision to make, Adrian! How many times do we have—” Celeste said, before she was interrupted.

“I haven’t told anybody about us. Not one person. This is about me.” Adrian said. “I don’t want to lie about who I am anymore.” Her voice lowered in volume, though Phoenix was still somehow able to hear it clearly through the walls. “I know why you want to keep this a secret. I understand, I really do.” Her voice had gone soft again. “I’m not asking you to come out, or to—to tell people about us. I don’t care about that. This is about me. Celeste…I just don’t want to lie about who I am anymore.”

It was eerily silent then, and Phoenix wondered if they were done talking. Or if they were now speaking quietly enough not to be overheard. And how were the Hogwarts bathroom walls so thin in the first place?

“Practically the whole school knows you’re gay now.” Celeste spoke in a defeated tone.

“It’s…it’s what I wanted.” Adrian said. Some of the surety had gone out of her voice, making the reply sound almost sound like a question.

“The rumors alone—do you really think no one’s going to suspect anything?” Celeste was steadily growing angrier again. “Bloody hell, did you even think about that?”

“You seem to handle the rumors about you and Juan just fine.” Adrian bit out. “You’ve heard the things people call you, how they think you’re double timing Juan and Matt! Is a rumor that we might be more than friends so much worse?”

“—That doesn’t mean you should just add on top of it!” Celeste was raising her voice right back. “Everyone’s always watching me, waiting for me to fuck up so they can blame me for ‘ruining’ their precious Quidditch players, and it’s even _worse_ now that I was picked over those idiots as Champion—”

“Maybe I wasn’t thinking of thinking of you.” Adrian’s voice was cold. “Maybe, just maybe, for _once_ I was thinking about what _I_ needed.”

“Adrian…”

“I just wanted to have a nice night.” Adrian interrupted again. “That’s all I wanted. To have a nice night out with one of my friends and _not_ have to pretend to be dating some guy. And you…you had to make it all about _you_. Like you always do.”

Celeste said nothing.

“Goodnight, Celeste.”

A moment later Adrian stepped out of the bathroom. Phoenix tried to sit as casually on the couch as he could, pretending like he hadn’t just heard them hash it out. But Adrian didn’t even see him, heading straight back to the Great Hall.

Phoenix stood up and scratched his head, wondering if he should move. He worried that if Celeste came out right now he’d look even more like he’d purposely been trying to eavesdrop. Maybe he should wait and see if she stayed there for a while, then move and act like he’d only just arrived?

He barely had any time to consider his options before Celeste exited the bathroom, wiping at her eyes discreetly. Unlike Adrian, she spotted him within moments.

“Why the hell are you lurking outside of the girl’s bathroom?” Celeste glared at him, suspicion clearly written across her face.

Phoenix said the first thing that came to mind. “I NEED A TAMPON.”

_‘Great job, brain.’_ Phoenix thought, _‘You too mouth. Pretty sure all of Scotland heard you there.’_

“Oh.” Celeste was off-footed by the unexpected answer. Sure, it was embarrassing, but at least it was a plausible excuse. To Celeste at least. It’d been over half a year since Phoenix had started testosterone, so his periods were officially gone (thank god), but she didn’t need to know that.

“So…I’ll just…” Phoenix awkwardly let himself into the bathroom. Even though there was no need for it, he grabbed a tampon from the dispensary there and stuffed it into his robes. He saw his cringed face in the mirror and mouthed out, ‘Oh my God’ to himself before going back outside.

Celeste was now sitting on the couch, head in her hands. She looked up when she heard the door close. She either didn’t notice or didn’t comment on how fast it took Phoenix to use the bathroom.

“Well, you got what you needed, didn’t you?” She snapped when she saw him still standing there. “Get the hell out of here!” Her voice strained at the effort of trying not to sound like she was crying.

“Um…” Phoenix said, watching as Celeste’s bracelet was melting off. “About the tournament…”

“Get. Out.” Celeste bit out, looking one second away from hexing him into the next century.

Phoenix made a tactical retreat.

Edgeworth was the only person there at the Head Table when he got back. Kay was dancing with Franziska and Maya. Adrian was with them as well—Maya was holding her hands and trying to get her to spin, apparently having caught on that she wasn’t feeling well. Phoenix could see Adrian chuckle weakly, following along as Maya made her twirl.

Phoenix thought he could see his other friends on the dance floor as well. Larry was pretty easy to spot, with the way he mostly jumped instead of dancing. The girl in the Kurain-style robes was obviously Iris, who thankfully seemed to be having a good time. His other friends couldn’t be too far away.

But Phoenix didn’t feel much like dancing. He sat down at the Head Table in a depressed slump.

“So, how’d it go?” Edgeworth asked. “Did you get any information?”

“All I got was a tampon.” Phoenix responded. At Edgeworth’s confused look he added, “It went terribly. Celeste got her bracelet off—but it wasn’t because of me.”

“Oh.” Edgeworth winced.

“Yeah.” Phoenix said.

They sat in silence. Phoenix would’ve asked Edgeworth why he wasn’t dancing, but he remembered that crowds or loud music had never been his thing. It looked like that much hadn’t changed.

Their quiet reverie was ended by Edgeworth letting out a long sigh. “Do you want a drink?” He asked.

“What?” Phoenix asked, before spotting the flask Edgeworth was sneaking out of his robes. “Holy shit. Have you been drinking this whole time?”

“I’ve been saving it.” Edgeworth said, taking a drink. He coughed afterwards. “Do you want any?”

“Oh God yes.” Phoenix took the offered flask gladly. After first making sure there were no chaperons in sight, he took a deep drink. Almost immediately he started coughing as well. “What is this?”

“Dragon Barrel Brandy.” Edgeworth said. Phoenix took another drink, grimacing at how strong it was.

“It tastes a bit off.” Phoenix admitted, handing back the flask.

“Sorry.” Edgeworth apologized. “I usually use this flask to keep my Wolfsbane close-by, for emergencies. There might be an aftertaste.” He took another swig himself.

“Oh, I see.”

They sat quietly, watching everyone else dance and, every once in a while, sneaking another drink.

Phoenix stared as Edgeworth hid the flask back into his robes, out of sight of the passing Professor Oldbag.

“How much is even in there?” Phoenix asked after Oldbag had gone. Sure, they were taking small sips, but they’d been doing so for a while now. Yet there still seemed to be plenty of liquor left in the thing.

“It’s magic.” Edgeworth smirked. “The inside is bigger than the outside.” He passed the flask back to Phoenix discreetly.

“I knew that.” Phoenix said. How strong was this brandy? He was already starting to feel something. Maybe he should’ve gotten seconds at dinner.

“No you didn’t.” Edgeworth replied. “That’s why you asked.”

“Shut up.” Phoenix retorted.

“Stupid.” Edgeworth started sniggering. It looked like Phoenix wasn’t the only one who was a bit of a lightweight.

“Where did you even get this brandy?” Phoenix asked, taking another sip.

“I stole it from von Karma’s study.” Edgeworth answered matter-of-factly. Phoenix nearly spat out his drink.

“You did _what_? Oh my God! Edgeworth that is…” Phoenix trailed. “That is _hilarious_.”

“You think so?” Edgeworth was staring at his flask, apparently not realizing what sort of _amazing_ thing he’d just admitted to.

“How did you—no, oh my god, I don’t even care.” Phoenix couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “So you’re telling me we’re drinking von Karma’s _personal_ brandy collection?” The very thought of it was making him giggle.

“Yes.” Edgeworth was chuckling too. “Yes we are.”

“This is the best day of my life.” Phoenix said.

“I’m happy to be of service.” Edgeworth tucked his flask back into his robes again. Probably for the best, especially with all the Professors roaming around. It was amazing they’d been getting away with it for so long already. Still, Phoenix mourned the (all things considered, probably temporary) loss of brandy.

“Will you get in trouble for this?” Phoenix asked, suddenly worried.

Edgeworth was staring at a non-existent point in space very determinedly. “I figured he’d know someone went through his study. So I thought…if he noticed the brandy missing, then he’d believe that was the reason I was messing around in there.”

“What, you weren’t there for the brandy?” Phoenix could feel his face twisting in confusion.

“No.” Edgeworth said. Phoenix waited for an explanation, but none came. Edgeworth was frowning but, after a moment, he simply shrugged. “The brandy was a happy coincidence.”

There was a noticeable shift in the band’s music style then, the energetic tunes slowly transitioning into something slower and more romantic. Phoenix watched as the people out on the floor changed their style in order to accommodate.

“Your sister’s slow dancing with my date.” Phoenix observed out loud. They looked happy. Franziska was leading, though she was the shorter of the two.

Phoenix spared a thought to where Adrian was, but quickly found her dancing with Kay. They weren’t dancing as close as some of the other couples, but they were enjoying themselves all the same.

“Does that bother you?” Edgeworth asked.

“Huh?” It took a moment for Phoenix to realize he was probably in referencing his comment about Maya and Franziska. “Oh, no. Not at all. Maya and me are only friends—no matter how set Pearl is on being the flower-girl at our wedding.”

Edgeworth hummed in understanding.

“What about you?” Phoenix asked before he could think better of it. “Kay’s dancing with Adrian. Is that, uh, alright with you?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Edgeworth was tilting his head in confusion. Phoenix hadn’t seen him use that particular gesture in years. It filled him with nostalgia.

“I don’t know.” Phoenix said. “I thought, maybe…I mean, you asked her to Yule.”

Edgeworth gave him one of the most disbelieving looks he’d ever seen.

“Okay, okay. I get it.” Phoenix put out his hands in placation, laughing slightly. “I was just wondering.”

There was a sudden and terrible urge to ask Edgeworth what his type was, whether or not Phoenix fit into it. He clamped his mouth tightly in order to prevent any of those words from slipping out. Stupid brandy.

 _Don’t you even dare,_ he repeated in his head over and over. This was why Phoenix shouldn’t drink. It always made him babble without thinking.

“Wait.” Edgeworth said out of nowhere, eyes wide. For a second Phoenix panicked and wondered if he’d been talking to himself out loud. Then Edgeworth continued. “You said it was time for slow dancing?”

“Yeah?” Phoenix answered.

Edgeworth glanced around the room and then quickly back to Phoenix. “Shit.” He muttered, voice grave. “They’re coming.”

“What? Who is?” Phoenix frowned. He looked around, trying to see what it was Edgeworth had spotted. Nothing looked out of the usual. There were a few people staring at them but, well, that wasn’t too strange. They were the Triwizard Champions after all.

Edgeworth’s face was starting to turn red. “My, uh…my…”

“Your…?” Phoenix tried to helpfully prompt him. This only made Edgeworth more flustered.

“Admirers!” He said loudly. Then, in a stage whisper. “My admirers, Wright. Those girls are coming to—to ask me to dance, or something.”

Phoenix couldn’t help it, really. He started to laugh.

“It’s not funny, Wright!” Edgeworth protested, still whispering. “I’m not making it up! Look around, tell me those girls aren’t trying to approach us.”

Phoenix did as asked, and he had to admit—the people who were staring at them were mostly girls. And some of them were slowly heading towards their table. But the fact it was true didn’t make it any less funny.

“I didn’t say you were lying.” Phoenix said in between chuckles. “Just, it’s hard to believe you’re this afraid of getting asked to dance.”

“It’s not the dancing.” Edgeworth ran a hand through his hair. “It’s like, they—they keep acting like I’m some Casanova figure or whatever and I don’t even…” He rubbed at his face. “And they’re always _looking_ at me, and they never listen whenever I tell them I’m not _interested_ , Wright, it never stops.”

“Okay, okay. I get it.” Phoenix said. Edgeworth really did look distressed. And there was a guilt growing inside of him, because _Phoenix_ was one of those people looking at Edgeworth like that. And Edgeworth had no idea. “I’m sorry for laughing.”

“I’m not sober enough for this.” Edgeworth groaned. “And Kay! She was supposed to keep this from happening. And now she’s off—off…gallivanting!”

“It’s alright.” Phoenix placed a hand on Edgeworth’s shoulder, which seemed to calm him a bit. “You can tell them you don’t feel like dancing. I could do it for you even, if you want.”

“That’s it.” Edgeworth’s head whipped up to look at him. “Dance with me.” He said.

Now it was Phoenix turn to blush. “W-what?”

“They can’t ask me to dance if I’m already dancing.” Edgeworth explained.

“No—I get it.” Phoenix said. “But, are you sure?”

“Of course.” Edgeworth frowned. He was tilting his head again. It really was a cute gesture; one Phoenix had missed. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

 _Because I’m just like them,_ Phoenix worried.

But he wasn’t, not really. At least, Phoenix hoped so. He didn’t expect anything from Edgeworth, would never do anything he might be uncomfortable with. They were friends. Those people barely knew Edgeworth. So it was different.

Hopefully.

“Okay.” Phoenix said before he could change his mind. “Yeah, okay.” He nodded.

That was all it took for Edgeworth to get up from their table, quick as lightning. Phoenix tried to follow suit, but wobbled slightly as he stood. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the alcohol or the adrenaline which was suddenly rushing through him.

They were really doing this. Holy shit. It was probably the worst idea ever. They were both more than a little tipsy, and Phoenix was one misspoken word away from revealing his horrible ever-growing stupid crush.

But Edgeworth was grabbing his hand and leading him to the dance floor. Phoenix didn’t have the willpower to say no.

_They were going to slow dance._

Phoenix was worried he might simultaneously self-combust before they even got the chance to start.

Edgeworth stopped once they reached the edge of the dance floor, dropping his hand. They stood there awkwardly.

“You can—” Edgeworth started.

“Did you want to—” Phoenix began simultaneously.

They stopped.

Edgeworth coughed. “You can lead, if you want.”

Phoenix wondered if Edgeworth was attempting to be thoughtful. Following in dancing was traditionally the girl’s role. Phoenix wasn’t as sensitive to that kind of thing as he had been when he was younger, but he appreciated the gesture.

“I’m not a great dancer.” Phoenix admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “You can lead.”

“I know. I saw you dance earlier.” Edgeworth replied. He smirked when Phoenix made an offended noise. “I can guide you from the follow role. I trained with Franziska—she likes to be in the lead as well.”

“Well, I mean, if you insist.” Phoenix conceded. He tried not show how affected he was when Edgeworth placed a hand on his shoulder. He also tried not to hesitate or shake as he placed his hand on Edgeworth’s waist. In that case, at least, the alcohol helped.

“Besides,” Edgeworth said as they brought their other hands together, “this isn’t the Champion’s Waltz. We’ll stick to swaying. I’m sure even you can handle that.”

“Har, har.” Phoenix replied. “Very funny.”

“I thought it was, yes.” Edgeworth said, smirking at the ground.

Dancing while tipsy wasn’t as bad as dancing while sober, Phoenix was discovering. It helped that the moves weren’t as complicated, like Edgeworth had said. And the music was nice.

Phoenix was trying his best not to hyper-focus on all the points where his and Edgeworth’s body were touching. It was a difficult task.

It turns out it’s very hard to avoid eye contact when you’re slow dancing with someone. Edgeworth was trying to solve this problem by keeping his eyes on their feet, while Phoenix was taking the route of looking around the room. Anywhere except the way the light shimmered on Edgeworth’s hair.

He spotted Larry and Iris, who were having an awkward slow dance of their own. Larry caught his eye and, after seeing who he was with, gave Phoenix a large thumbs-up and a toothy grin. Phoenix tried not to blush more than he already was.

There was Lana and Mia, gazing into each other’s eyes like it was the most natural thing in the world. Phoenix would say he wasn't jealous, but it'd be a lie.

Celeste was back on the dance floor, looking like she hadn’t had a breakdown in the toilets only a short while ago. She was with Juan. Phoenix couldn’t see her face, tucked as it was into Juan’s chest. But her wrist he could see, and the tournament bracelet was gone for the first time since the trial.

“She really did get it off then.” Phoenix muttered out loud.

Edgeworth moved his gaze off their feet to look at him. “Hmm?”

“Celeste. Her bracelet.” Phoenix explained. “It’s gone.”

“Good for her.” Edgeworth said.

“I don’t think she sees it that way.” Phoenix frowned.

Edgeworth winced in sympathy. “I wasn’t terribly fond of the process either, I have to admit.”

“I cried mostly out of relief. Or closure, or whatever.” Phoenix said thoughtfully. “So I guess mine wasn’t too bad.”

“Mine was.” Edgeworth sighed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring it up.” Phoenix tightened his grip, both on Edgeworth’s waist and hand, hoping it’d comfort him a bit.

“It’s fine. I get nightmares, is all.” Edgeworth said. “From when my father died.” He didn’t look ‘fine’ at all to Phoenix, but there wasn’t anything he could do.

“I’m sorry.” Phoenix apologized again.

“It’s not your fault.” Edgeworth smiled sadly.

“It’s not yours either.” Phoenix said.

Edgeworth was staring right at him. His eyes were so bright and open that, for the first time, Phoenix really understood what the cliché ‘drowning in your eyes’ meant.

Then, ever so slowly, Edgeworth lowered his head onto Phoenix’s shoulder. The sigh he let out sounded so very, very tired.

“For the longest time I thought…” Edgeworth trailed off. Phoenix wondered if he could hear how loud his heart was beating. Or could he feel how fast it was going? That would just be his luck.

Edgeworth dropped his right hand from Phoenix’s shoulder, instead using it to clutch at the front of Phoenix’s robes. “Phoenix,” Edgeworth said, so soft it was almost a whisper, “did you ever think you might’ve done something bad?”

“Is this about stealing von Karma’s brandy?” Phoenix asked, trying to match Edgeworth’s quiet tone.

“No.” Edgeworth said. “Or yes. Maybe. I don’t know.” He sighed.

“Well, in my opinion, that guy deserves to get his stuff raided every now and then.” Phoenix replied. He considered it a victory when Edgeworth chuckled softly into his chest.

There was a bright white flash then, which blinded Phoenix for a moment. But he blinked and it was gone, so he dismissed it as some of the Hall’s lights getting in his eyes.

The swaying he and Edgeworth were doing could only be called dancing under the loosest of terms. It was more like dizzy hugging. Which, to be fair, they probably both were a little dizzy after all the brandy.

“Did you want to talk about it?” Phoenix asked. “The maybe-bad thing?”

Phoenix felt rather than saw Edgeworth shake his head ‘no’.

“That’s alright.” Phoenix murmured. “You can tell me whenever you feel like it. Or not. Whatever you want.”

Edgeworth was sighing again, leaning further against Phoenix in relaxation.

They swayed to the music for a while before Edgeworth talked again.

“Your voice has gotten deeper, you know.” Edgeworth said. “Since I got here.”

“Really?” Phoenix asked. He thought he’d noticed it himself, but he hadn’t been sure if he was just imagining things.

“Yeah.” Edgeworth replied. “It’s good. Not…not that your voice was bad before. I just…like it. It matches you.”

“Thanks.” Something warmer than the brandy was making its way through him, and there was nothing Phoenix could do but smile.

“Phoenix? You ready to go? It’s getting kind of late.” It took a few moments for Phoenix to process that the voice was not, in fact, Edgeworth’s, but Maya’s.

“Kleiner Bruder.” And there was Franziska. Because they were in front of them now. The two of them. Staring at him and Edgeworth.

Edgeworth practically stood to attention the moment Franziska spoke. He turned around, dropping both of his hands off Phoenix. “Yes, Franziksa?” He asked, trying to appear normal.

“Maya! What’s up?” Phoenix pronounced the ‘p’ in ‘up’ with a slight pop. The sudden absence of Edgeworth’s weight upset his balance a bit, causing Phoenix to stumble slightly.

“Oh Merlin.” Maya’s hand was covering her mouth. “Are you guys _drunk_?”

“Miles Edgeworth!” Franziska gasped, scandalized.

Edgeworth turned to Phoenix, mouth slightly open. It occurred to Phoenix then that Edgeworth’s cheeks were actually quite pink, and had been for some time.

Edgeworth looked back at Maya and his sister. “No, actually. We’ve not been drinking. And the fact you’d a-accuse us of doing so is—is flabbergasting. How do we know, actually, that you’re not the drunk ones? Hmm?”

There was silence followed by a long and low stream of German curses—primarily from Franziska.

“I cannot believe you.” Franziska looked very unimpressed.

“Phoenix,” Maya said, crossing her arms, “you do realize my mom’s the one in charge of roaming the halls tonight? You know, to specifically find the students who’ve been drinking?”

“No. No, I did not know that.” Phoenix replied. “That is—that is. Terrible actually.” Even now he could see the disappointed gaze of Misty Fey. “Shit.”

“Alright, I think it’s time to get you home.” Maya sighed, grabbing Phoenix by the arm so she could help support him as they walked. Phoenix watched as Franziska got into a similar position with Edgeworth.

“You are going to have a very bad headache tomorrow.” Franziska was lecturing her brother. “And you will deserve every ounce of it, you Dummkopf.”

“Bye Edgeworth. See you later…I guess.” Phoenix said weakly, but Franziska was already moving her brother away.

“Okay, I’ll help you avoid mom if you promise not to throw up on me.” Maya said. Phoenix nodded.

Now that he was moving, he realized how tired he was.

“I’m assuming you had some fun?” Maya asked, her tone mildly insinuating, as they slowly made their way back to the Hufflepuff dorms.

“I’m screwed, Maya.” Phoenix moaned miserably, trying not to trip as they walked. “I like him so much. It’s not fair. I’m just totally—totally screwed. It’s awful.”

“There, there. I know.” Maya said, patting him sympathetically on the back, “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next is the second Triwizard trial! are you excited? I'M EXCITED!
> 
> Unfortunately, it might take a little while to get the next chapter again. Or then again, maybe not? I'm not sure. Purely because of Things Happening in my life which are taking my free time away (good things though!), and not out of any lack of motivation or anything. Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  BET YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEEN THE LAST OF ME, HUH?  
> It's been a while, hasn't it? Last time I posted a chapter Obama was still POTUS...it's been a couple of tough years guys, as I'm sure you know. But!!! I never had any intention of leaving this fic abandoned, and I fully intend on finishing this (I actually even have part of a sequel/epilouge written, focusing more on Mia, Iris, and Dahlia. There's some stuff going on with the Feys that Phoenix doesn't have any real way of knowing about, and some loose ends from this main storyline that I'll need tie up once this fic is done).  
> Again, I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated, but I've been a bit busy with some real life stuff.  
> Quick note before this starts, trigger warning for this chapter//////////it's brief, but Phoenix does get misgendered/////  
> Anyways! Let me quit my rambling, and I hope you guys enjoy the long-awaited second tournament task!

There was a camera floating in front of Phoenix. Two of them, if he were to be exact. They lightly bobbed up and down in the air a few feet away from his head, their lenses pointed directly at him.

Phoenix waved awkwardly and watched as the gesture was projected onto a gigantic screen propped in the Hogwarts courtyard. A live feed of Celeste and Edgeworth were up there as well, each of them getting their own stalker cameras and giant display.

“That should do it!” Gumshoe let go of the camera he’d been fiddling with, watching proudly as it joined its partner in floating near Edgeworth's head.

"I still don't see why we're using such...baseless devices." Professor Von Karma commented from nearby.

"Oh come on now!" Oldbag said, slapping Von Karma's back. She ignored the disgusted glare he sent her. "We all agreed! Muggle tech or not, these little guys are the best way for us to see what's happening. It would be boring if we all just stood around, watching nothing but the grass growing and waiting for them to get back, wouldn't it?"

She gestured around the courtyard, where sitting stands had been placed for everyone to watch the camera feeds. 

Besides the stands and the large video screen, there were three doors placed in the middle of the field. They were all a bright, almost clinical, shade of white. They were arranged in a slight arch, with the middle door being placed further back than the other two, which stood parallel to each other.

There was no room attached to them. They were simply doors, standing up straight without any walls or foundation to support them. Not the weirdest thing Phoenix had seen since finding out he was a wizard, but it was still a strange sight all the same.

From where he stood, Phoenix couldn't tell whether or not the doors were locked. But they were shut tightly. Besides their placement on the field, they were all identical.

Phoenix had only found out a few minutes ago that there were being sent to a location outside of Hogwarts for the next task. He supposed it made sense. The clue had mentioned a "treasure trove" of sorts, and there wasn't anything like that on campus—at least, as far as Phoenix knew. Unless you counted the chamber of secrets. And that was only if you considered a decade old basilisk skeleton to be 'treasure'.

"You've taken all the precautions?" Asked Professor McGonagall, examining Gumshoe from behind her glasses.

"Yup!" Gumshoe smiled. "I stayed up all night working on these. All the charms should be working fine!"

In addition to being their groundskeeper, it was a little known fact around Hogwarts that Gumshoe had a knack for Muggle devices. More often than not, he could be found fiddling with his current pet project instead of patrolling the halls. His dog Missile was more likely to catch you sneaking out after curfew. More likely to punish you too, since Gumshoe hardly gave anything worse than a warning—while Phoenix had experienced first-hand how much tougher Missile’s bite was compared to his (already vicious) bark. 

"We shouldn't lose sight of them for a second!" Gumshoe continued brightly, "Not even if they set off the—"

He was interrupted by Professor McGonagall pointedly clearing her throat. Gumshoe deflated slightly. 

"Well, anyways, everything should be all set to go." He finished with a sheepish grin.

"So everything's ready?" Professor Oldbag asked. Despite phrasing it as a question, she didn't wait for anyone to answer her before magically enhancing her voice. "Let's begin the second task!"

There was cheering from the stands, everyone clearly excited about the fact they'd be able to watch the event in full.

Usually when events of the tournament led the champions out of sight of the audience, that was that: they’d be stuck watching whatever lake or cave entrance the contestants had been thrown into. But this time, every moment would be broadcasted for the audience to watch. Phoenix thought it had something to do with the headmasters’ attempts at making the tournament safer, but the end result still meant more entertainment for those watching.

"Today, the champions have been tasked with obtaining a treasure they've been assigned—each one unique." Oldbag continued. "Of course, their first and foremost task will be returning back to Hogwarts...preferably in one piece."

The crowd cheered again. Phoenix felt his face cringe involuntarily.

Professor von Kamra approached the three white doors. "Each door," he said, tapping his cane onto the wood of one of them, "is a different opening into the maze from which the contestants must escape."

Professor McGonagall spoke next. "Currently in the lead with forty-two points, Champion Phoenix Wright gets first choice in which path he'll take."

Phoenix automatically stood up straighter at the announcement of his name. That was his cue to pick a door.

Edgeworth tilted his head significantly towards him, which Phoenix took as a subtle reminder to follow their plan. If you could call it a plan. It was more of a guideline, really. You couldn’t come up with too strict a schedule when you didn’t even know where or what you were being thrown into.

Celeste was giving him a similar look, with only slightly stronger ‘if-you-mess-this-up-I’ll-strangle-you-myself’ vibes. Phoenix tried to send them a reassuring thumbs up. Neither of them looked very comforted.

It only took a couple of days after the Yule Ball for Celeste to finally agree to exchanging clues. Not that she’d been happy about it. 

She had appeared out of nowhere, demanding his and Edgeworth’s copy of their task clues in exchange for her own. She must had realized exchanging clues was necessary after finally finding the clue hidden in her bracelet.

Phoenix was very careful not to mention _how_ she’d discovered her clue. Phoenix was pretty sure that most of her curtness and discomfort while they had talked stemmed from her wondering if he’d told Edgeworth about the scene he’d seen between her and Adrian—and the way she had cried afterwards. He hadn’t told Edgeworth anything specific about what had happened. It didn’t feel right, exposing Celeste’s secrets like that.

It took a little while, but eventually they’d all seen each other’s clues. Having them all together made it a little easier to figure out what they had to do for the next task.

Edgeworth had been assigned to either find _‘golden goose, sapphire ring, or wooden chest’_ , Phoenix had gotten _‘silver crown, golden rose, or jade vase’_ , and Celeste’s had been _‘ancient scroll, emerald pin, or turquoise vest’_. The only other variation in their clues were the warnings, where a color was stated to _‘lead to death’_ if touched. Phoenix had been warned against blue, Edgeworth green, and Celeste gold.

From there, it was pretty easy to figure out which treasures would be the best for them to take. In the end, Edgeworth promised to pick up his wooden chest, Phoenix his silver crown, and Celeste her ancient scroll. All of those things were either brown or silver, and not any of the apparently deadly colors.

So in terms of a plan, that was all they had. Grab the right treasure. Try not to die. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

At least, Phoenix hoped it wouldn’t be. A futile hope, but still.

He looked at the three doors, knowing he had to choose one of them. Did it really make a huge difference which one he picked? Was one path harder or easier than the others? Probably.

Oh well. Phoenix may be a wizard, but a psychic he was not. So he didn’t bother trying to think about which one was better and just walked straight to the door in the middle. The doorknob was easier to open then he’d expected. Though why he’d thought it be locked, he didn’t know. Opening the door gave no hint as to where it went. There was simply a square black void where the campus field should have been.

Phoenix ignored the cheering and his own beating heart as he walked inside. The door shut itself with a loud snap the moment he was past the door frame. Phoenix automatically turned towards the sound, but could barely get himself sideways before he felt himself fall—as if there’d never been a floor underneath him in the first place.

He’d just managed to think _‘Again with the falling to my death?’_ before he landed hard onto the floor. There was a sound like a splash, followed by the unmistakable feeling of his clothes getting wet. 

Phoenix took a moment to recover from the short fall before getting up. There was definitely water here, a fact he confirmed with the splashes his feet caused every time he moved.

It was shallow at least, the water not high enough to reach past his sneakers. Though that hadn’t saved his socks from getting soaked, unfortunately.

Phoenix tried to get a hold of his surroundings. It was terribly dark, so much so that casting _Lumos_ only gave him a few feet of light. The small blinking dots from the floating cameras did little to help.

He tried to find a wall as quickly as he could with his limited field of vision. When he found it, he saw it was made of rock—with the uneven coarse texture found in nature instead of a man-made structure. He thought he could hear the soft sound of water dripping from the ceiling.

So, he was probably in a cave. An underground cave. Awesome.

How far underground he was, he didn’t know. Was there water above him? How much of it? He started imagining scenarios where the roof suddenly came down on him, avoiding being crushed only to find himself drowning. He shook his head to get rid of those images. Best not to think about that sort of thing.

After exploring for a little bit, he figured out he’d been dropped in a dead end. There was only one direction to head in, so he began to walk.

Keeping an eye on the floor for any rocks or deep puddles, Phoenix placed a hand on the cave wall and steadily moved forward.

Phoenix wasn’t sure how literal von Karma had been when he’d described this place as a maze, but he remembered reading a book at his old children’s home that said keeping your hand on a maze wall and following it was a sure way to find the exit. It might not apply to somewhere magical, but he figured there was little harm in trying. 

It also meant he spent less time deliberating which turn to take whenever he reached a fork in his path. Part of the challenge was getting out of here as quickly as he could, right? At least, he assumed so. And trying to figure out which way was the right one sounded like a great way to waste time.

He’d been walking for at least fifteen minutes when he began shivering.

It wasn’t too surprising, considering how wet he’d gotten his clothes during the fall. And the cave wasn’t exactly the warmest place to be, even without all the water. He was just about to resign himself to being cold and miserable when he suddenly remembered something.

_‘Mr. Nick!” Phoenix looked down to see Pearl tugging lightly at his robes._

_"Hey Pearls," He crouched down towards her, "I thought you went over to meet your mom?"_

_It was the second to last day of Winter Break, and both Morgan and Pearl were scheduled to return back to Kurain that day. Iris had already brought Pearl around to say her goodbyes about twenty minutes ago, so Phoenix was surprised to see her again so soon. Especially by herself._

_Phoenix tried to subtly look around to see if Iris or Morgan were nearby, but he didn't see anyone._

_He'd mentioned earlier that he'd stop by the library to return some text books, but he hadn't expected Pearl to have found him all by herself. The plans Phoenix had of asking Pearl why she wasn’t with her mom or sister were interrupted when he felt something shoved against his stomach._

_“Merry Christmas!” Pearl said happily, still holding onto the small baggy she’d pushed into him._

_“You got me a present?” Phoenix asked, now fully holding the little bag Pearl had given him. The wrapping was translucent, with what looked to be little orange candies inside._

_“Oh Pearls, you didn’t have to.” He said, all the while holding the bag as gently as he could._

_Pearl was now folding her hands in front of herself demurely. “They’re butterscotch.” She said, lightly tapping the ground with one foot. “But I, um, charmed them myself. They’re supposed to warm you up. If I did it right…”_

_“Aww, thanks Pearls.” Phoenix smiled. “I’m sure I’ll use them all by the time spring rolls around.”_

_Pearl was glancing at the ground now, a look of great concentration on her face. “I overheard Miss Mia talking about the next tournament challenge. She said…” Pearl bit her lip, looking back up at Phoenix after pausing. “It’s something to do with water, right?” She frowned. “I thought, maybe I could help, even if it’s just something small like keeping you warm…Is it okay?”_

_“Oh Pearl…” Phoenix had never meant for Pearl to know about the dangers of the tournament, and he was sure Mia hadn’t either. Still, he couldn’t help but feel touched that she would try to help him. “I’ll use it the first chance I get.”_

_Her smile in response was the wide and cheerful sort that only a six-year old could properly give justice._

Phoenix touched the small pocket he’d hidden the candies in, relieved that they apparently hadn’t broken during his fall earlier.

Trying carefully not to drop any of them in the dark, he opened the bag and popped two of the candies into his mouth. 

It didn’t even matter if the butterscotch was properly charmed or not—knowing how hard Pearl had tried was enough in itself to warm him up. Still, there was no harm in trying.

He didn’t notice any change immediately. It was only a few minutes later when Phoenix began to feel a wave of warmth pass through him. It wasn’t the strongest charm, but it was enough to make Phoenix feel less like he’d dropped into a freezing cold waterfall, and more like he’d fallen into a lukewarm tub. 

There was still that horribly uncomfortable feeling of soggy socks, but at least he was warm now.

The few feet of scenery his _Lumos_ spell gave him wasn’t very exciting. It was the same cave wall and puddles, over and over again, with the occasional fork in the path. The past two times he’d been given a choice, Phoenix had just followed the wall his hand was on. 

He’d just passed another break in the road when he suddenly heard a loud cracking noise.

Phoenix stopped moving on instinct, hand gripped tightly around his wand as all his senses went into hyper-drive. He stood there in the dark, waiting to see if whatever had made the sound would come at him. 

Nothing happened. After a short moment Phoenix came to the conclusion that, just maybe, _he’d_ been the one to make the noise. From there he pretty quickly looked down at his feet, stuck in the same position from when he’d first frozen up. The source of the noise was pretty clear.

There, just under his left foot, was the broken remains of some bones. Which were connected to an unexpectedly complete, and very (very) human, skeleton.

The frequency of the scream Phoenix unleashed was probably one for the records.

He jumped back, nearly falling down on the wet cave floor in his haste to get away from the bones. He half expected the skeleton to follow him—dark creepy cave, random skeleton, magic tournament—it wasn’t too unreasonable to think there’d be some undead funny business going on. But no, the skeleton stayed in its spot. Unchanged and unmoving, except for the tibia Phoenix had cracked earlier.

Phoenix stared at the skeleton for a little longer, every inch of him anticipating an attack of some sort, but nothing happened. Eventually he calmed down. Or, well, as much as he could while staring at a human skeleton.

It was obviously old, considering there was no corpse residue in sight. The old-timey clothes it was dressed in was another tip off. At least, as far as Phoenix could tell—it was a little difficult, considering how ragged and water damaged its clothes were.

There was nothing else on the skeleton, no sword or wand or anything else that could give a hint as to what had killed the human it once belonged to. The only other thing that Phoenix could see was some sort of cloudy opal clutched in one of the skeleton’s hands.

In other circumstances, Phoenix might have felt curious enough to look closer at the jewel, or even snatch it. But the creepy skeleton was a little off putting. Plus the whole, you know, tournament thing he had to be getting back to. 

So he was just going to keep a mental tab on it. Store the image of the opal away for future reference. Or not. Honestly, the foreboding skeleton was kind of freaking him out. Not to mention distracting. 

If Phoenix was stricter about following his “keep one hand on the wall” rule, he’d keep going forward on that path. But, here was the thing: he didn’t want to go that way anymore.

Call him paranoid, or a scaredy-cat, but following the trail of dead corpses did not seem like the best way to win what was—essentially—a survival competition. So (in a very calm and logically manner) Phoenix backtracked as fast as he could and got the hell out of dodge. He’d just take that other turn at the fork he’d last passed. It’d be _fine_. This was all going _fine_.

And if the new path he’d just taken seemed a little darker than the other one? Well, that was just his imagination. He only needed a few minutes to calm down, then everything would be okay. He’d find the stupid silver crown, meet up with Edgeworth and Celeste, then they could figure a way out of this stupid creepy cave and back to Hogwarts. Where there weren’t any skeletons. (Probably).

It looked like at least one of those items was off his list when Phoenix turned a corner and saw a familiar magenta-robbed figure.

“Oh, Edgeworth, thank God.” Phoenix said, already starting to feel a little relieved. Edgeworth would know what to do. He was probably already on top of this whole cave-maze puzzle thing. Even if he wasn’t, at least now Phoenix would have help when whatever new deadly-creature their headmasters had sicced on them planned to show their faces.

(Looking back, Phoenix should have noticed sooner that something was wrong.)

Edgeworth looked exactly the same as he had when Phoenix last saw him. Well almost, save for the expression on his face.

“What are you doing here?” Edgeworth asked, his eyes narrowing.

Phoenix slowed his approach, a little taken back by the greeting (or lack of one). “Um, looking for the exit?” He replied.

Edgeworth sighed, a sound so filled with derision that it made Phoenix feel even more off-footed.

“That’s not what I meant.” Edgeworth said, his voice flat. “What, exactly,” He made a flourish with his hand, “are you doing here?”

There was something very wrong going on. Phoenix had no idea what it was, but Edgeworth hadn’t acted this way since…well, since he first arrived back at Hogwarts. Things had been a lot better lately. Had something happened?

“Is, uh…is everything okay?” Phoenix asked.

“No, everything is not okay.” Edgeworth stepped forward, causing Phoenix to unconsciously take a step back. “What in the world made you think,” Edgeworth continued talking, “someone like _you_ could be of any use to me?”

“Edgeworth, what the heck is—”

“Do you really think you can help anyone?” Edgeworth was still walking towards him, slowly but surely. “You’re nothing but a nuisance who, frankly, I’ve grown tired of.”

Phoenix didn’t know what to say. Actually, he wasn’t sure if he’d even be able to say anything if he wanted to. He could only watch as the figure heading towards him started to…well, change.

“Really,” The figure said, as their hair grew and turned into a dark shade of red, “I don’t understand why you think anyone cares what you do.” The figure was now an identical replica of Dahlia, sickly sweet voice and all. “You’re just a small little nobody, butting your head into things that are none of your business.” She twirled a small lock of hair around her finger, a familiar gesture Phoenix had seen a thousand times over in his Potions class. “It’d be funny if it weren’t so _annoying_.”

A boggart. He was dealing with a boggart. He had to be. There were only a few creatures that could shapeshift, and a Kelpie would’ve tried to drown him by now (at least, he thought so)—so it had to be a boggart.

Unless Dahlia and Edgeworth were both Metamorphmagi and also somehow the same person, which meant everything they were saying was true and—no. That was dumb. How many times had he seen both Edgeworth and Dahlia in the same room together? He was just panicking. Because of the boggart.

“Hmm?” The face that looked like Dahlia’s sneered, “is the little witch going to cry?”

“What,” the words came out weakly, “did you just say?” It was Phoenix’s voice, he knew. But it didn’t feel like the words had come from him, but somewhere far, far away.

The Boggart-Dahlia seemed amused at the question. “I said,” it smiled, annunciating each word with emphasis, “is the little _witch_ going to cry?”

“Screw you.” Phoenix bit out. He could feel himself shaking, but his voice was steady. There was a part of him that was still worried that everything the boggart had been saying was true—all of it—but it was being drowned out by the wave of anger going through him. How dare this creature steal his friends’ faces, how dare it refer to him that way—Phoenix knew he had to act on this burst of rage, soon, before it ran out and was replaced with fear and panic again.

“ _Riddikulous_!” Phoenix swung the spell as hard as he could, watching with vindictive satisfaction as it crashed right into the boggart’s face. In an instant the Dahlia-look-alike’s red curls began to turn a bright neon green. Nearly the exact shade that Phoenix had turned Edgeworth’s hair all those months ago—though this time the color gave off a light glow, so as to still be visible despite the still permeating darkness of the caves.

It looked just as silly on Dahlia as it had on Edgeworth. The chuckle that came out of Phoenix was barely forced at all, especially with how upset the boggart became at the change. He could almost pretend it was actually Dahlia reacting to the charm.

The boggart’s attempts to change back into Edgeworth didn’t help either, as all it did was remind Phoenix of how funny it’d been the first time, and made it obvious just how bad of an Edgeworth imitation the creature really was. It wasn’t long until the boggart hopped backwards into the shadows it had presumably come from.

Phoenix didn’t wait around for anything else to jump out at him. He quickly turned back around to the path he’d been on, running until he’d reach the fork from before.

Phoenix stopped once he saw the familiar skeleton, taking a few moments to breathe. All the adrenaline was starting to drain out of him, leaving his body tired and shaky.

What should he do now?

He didn’t want to follow that boggart, but the skeleton path wasn’t any more appealing than it had been before. Maybe he’d taken a wrong turn earlier? Should he turn back and try the other paths he’d been ignoring? Or would that just be wasting more time? He didn’t know. But he’d have to make up his mind soon. The challenge was far from over.

Phoenix was just about to head back to the previous forks when he saw a light coming from the end of the skeleton path. It was small and bright, coming closer, but still too far for Phoenix to make out clearly.

Still a little jumpy from the boggart, Phoenix tried his best to get into a battle ready position. He couldn’t connect the bobbing light to any of the monsters he’d studied, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t in danger again.

The light was only a few meters away from him when it finally turned into something resembling a shape. It was a slender cat, glowing with the ethereal blue light characteristic of a Patronus Charm. Phoenix dropped his dueling stance.

“Oh. Hello.” Phoenix said, relief rolling off of him. The cat had to belong to either Celeste or Edgeworth. Probably Celeste, going by the unimpressed look the cat was giving him. Though that didn’t necessarily rule Edgeworth out, now that he thought about it.

“Follow me.” The cat said with Celeste’s voice, dispelling any doubts about the patronus being a trick.

The cat didn’t even wait to see if Phoenix was following it before heading back to where it had come from. Phoenix hurried after it, carefully sidestepping the skeleton that was still guarding the pathway. Every once in a while the cat would turn to look at him, as if to make sure he was still following.

It might’ve been around ten minutes of walking before Phoenix started to see an opening in the distance. The transition from the dark caves into the lit opening was harsh and sudden. Phoenix held his hand over his eyes at the sudden brightness. It was only after a few moments of excessive blinking that he was able to see the room he was now in.

If he hadn’t just spent so long in those unnaturally dark tunnels, Phoenix suspected he would’ve found the lighting rather dim. As it was, he was just glad not to have any shadows obscuring his vision.

The patronus had led him into a large clearing. They were still underground, the cave walls circled around them. The light of the room was coming from an opening far above: the only other exit he could see besides the tunnel he’d just came from.

The clearing itself was almost entirely water, save for a bridge leading to an island of sand resting in the middle of the lake. Along the edges of the island were three short pillars made of some sort of steel, which seemed to be the only objects on the island. Unless you counted Edgeworth and Celeste, who were standing in the center of the sand.

“Hey.” Phoenix waved, wasting no time in running up to them. His cameras followed quickly after him, floating upwards to join Celeste’s and Edgeworth’s to get what Phoenix assumed was a better view. 

“Finally.” Celeste said, waving her wand to dispel the last wisps of her patronus. “Now we can get started.”

“You guys waited for me?” Phoenix asked, surprised. Sure, they’d shared information with each other, but this was supposed to be a contest.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen once we try to retrieve our items,” Edgeworth explained, “and the clue was very clear in stating that all of us will be needed to complete the challenge to escape. Waiting for you was logical.”

“Oh, okay.” Phoenix said, trying not to read anything more into it. He was just about to ask if they had any idea _where_ they were going to get their ‘treasures’ when he caught a closer look at the water surrounding them.

There were no ripples. No waves either. It was as if there was a flat plane of crystal glass separating them from the waters below. Phoenix would even doubt there was any water at all if it wasn’t for the swirling murkiness coming from below the surface.

The water itself was a crystal ice blue, but weaving through the lake were silvery slivers of…something. It resembled mist, almost, though Phoenix was unsure whether it would be more of a heavier texture if he’d touch it. The mist-like liquid wasn’t so abundant as to hide the various treasures resting at the bottom of the lake. And amongst them, scattered across various gold coins and gemstones, were the dead.

Phoenix faintly shuddered as he spotted the corpses laying in the water—some of them were fully skeletal, while others still maintained some of their flesh.

“Eugh.” Phoenix shuddered again. “It’s like that scene from Lord of the Rings. Except worse.”

“…Lord of the what?” He heard Edgeworth quietly ask, before Celeste’s voice drew his attention.

“Ugh, I know.” Celeste said. “The one Frodo falls in? And Gollum has to grab him?” She was scowling, but her tone sounded amused. “That was the worst.”

“I always thought the Moria troll was pretty bad.” Phoenix added, excited that she’d not only gotten the reference, but seemed to enjoy the source material as well.

“What are you two going on about?” Edgeworth asked, looking as if he was caught between being confused and annoyed. 

“Wow. Your life is so sad.” Phoenix said, trying not to smirk as Edgeworth visibly rolled his eyes at the comment. It wasn’t too surprising that von Karma wouldn’t allow his charge to watch any so-called muggle movies. Still—never seeing Lord of the Rings? Tragic. Phoenix would have to make Edgeworth marathon it with him some time after this. Though knowing Edgeworth, he’d probably prefer reading the books. The giant nerd.

“I think I can see my scroll.” Celeste said from nearby, her body leaning towards the edge of the lake. Phoenix followed her line of site to see two large rolls of parchment tied together with string, floating still in the water.

“That can’t be good for the paper.” Phoenix couldn’t help but say, despite knowing there was probably an enchantment or something to keep it from getting water damaged. He thought he could see Celeste smirk a bit as she started to wade into the water, keeping a wide berth from any of the corpses.

It didn’t take too long for Edgeworth and him to spot their own items. The silver crown that Phoenix had been assigned was much larger than he was expecting—as if it was meant for a giant’s head rather than a wizard’s. It was relatively plain looking, from what Phoenix can tell, with no additional gems or designs to adorn it. Phoenix walked to the edge of the island closest to where the crown was, and then quickly submerged himself in the water before he could think about it too hard. 

The lake was warmer than Phoenix had expected, though that might’ve been the ongoing effect of Pearl’s enchanted candies. He continued to swim deeper under the surface, trying hard to keep his eyes open so that he could see where he was going. He was just a hairs length away from the crown when he felt his arm brush up against one of the skeletons, causing a wave of disgust to roll through him. He pulled away quickly, grabbing onto the crown in the next second and quickly making his way back up to the surface. He’d just pushed his head past the water when he felt it.

There was a tight grip on his leg, trying to tug him back underneath the lake. Phoenix couldn’t contain the high-pitched scream that forced its way out of him when he saw the skeletal hand tightly wound around his left ankle. There was now a loud buzzing noise echoing throughout the cave, as if an alarm had been sounded.

Celeste reacted instantly, blasting a spell to separate the skeleton from the hand still tied around Phoenix. The noise died down as quickly as it had come, though it was soon followed by a deep rumbling coming from the depths of the lake. 

Phoenix swam back to the island, falling to his knees on the sand and trying to rip the skeletal hand off as soon as he’d made it back to shore.

“What happened?” Edgeworth burst up from the water, both of his hands clutching the sides of a large wooden chest. 

“Uh…guys?” Phoenix said, dread slowly building within his stomach. His hands were frozen to the spot where they’d been trying to pull off the still-stuck skeleton hand. It was only now that he was out of the water that he realized the skeleton’s hand was absolutely covered in jeweled golden rings. He turned to Celeste and Edgeworth and saw their expressions slowly change to match his horror.

 _‘Any hands which touch gold will lead to death’_ , Celeste’s warning had read.

“I’m touching it!” Phoenix yelled in panic.

“Stop touching it!” Celeste’s screamed back.

“I think it might be too late for that.” Edgeworth muttered.

The rumbling from within the lake was growing louder. Several things then happened at once. First, there was a loud ‘wooshing’ sound as streams of water began to fall from small openings placed high above the cave’s walls. The sudden streams of water seemed to misplace something in the stone, as rubble both small and large began to rain down from above. Then, all at once, the six cameras which had been following the champions shook briefly before they fell into the lake with a deep splash. The splashes coincided with the sound of about three dozen of now-animated corpses popping out of the water with a grim determination.

“What the hell!” Phoenix yelled as the corpses began to head straight for them—the ones farther out from the island were swimming towards them at an alarming pace, and a few of the dead were already climbing onto the shore. It didn’t help that the island was slowly shrinking as the water level began to rise higher.

“We have to get the items to the pillars!” Edgeworth said, already moving towards one of the steel pillars where the tokens were presumably meant to be placed. Celeste and Phoenix followed his lead, none of them very keen on drowning or getting caught by the dead. 

There was an immediate change when the items where placed on the pillars, the sand at the center of the island scattering as a stone spiral staircase began to rise steadily upwards. Celeste didn’t waste any time, making her way up the stairs to escape from both the skeletons and the ever-increasing water level. Phoenix got ready to follow her, looking back at Edgeworth to make sure he hadn’t gotten dragged down by one of the corpses. 

It was good that he had, as he turned to see that Edgeworth was still by his pillar, desperately trying to remove his hands from where they were still attached to the wooden chest.

“What’s wrong?” Phoenix called out as he ran over, taking a moment to send a blasting spell towards a few skeletons that were moving uncomfortably close to Edgeworth.

“They’re stuck.” Edgeworth said, using his head to motion towards his hands, both of which were still tightly attached to the wooden handles of the chest. “I can’t let it go!” He turned to Phoenix with a growing look of panic.

Phoenix stuffed his wand into his pants and proceeded to wrap both of his hands around Edgeworth’s right wrist, pulling as hard as he could. Edgeworth’s hand didn’t move an inch. Phoenix switched tactics, trying to pull the chest away from the pillar with no luck.

Phoenix and Edgeworth met eyes as they both felt the unmistakable sensation of water gathering around their ankles.

“I can’t do any magic like this.” Edgeworth frowned, glowering at where the chest was glued to the pillar, “Perform a bubble charm on me and get out of here.”

“What? No way!” Phoenix shook his head. “I’m not leaving you like this.” He couldn’t. Even if the bubble charm would keep Edgeworth from drowning, there were still all the undead to deal with. Not to mention the pieces of stone falling all around them, the cave seemingly falling apart from within. Edgeworth wouldn’t be able to defend himself if he couldn’t use his wand. 

But they’d either get crushed or swarmed by the undead if they didn’t do something soon. Phoenix’s blasting spells on both the boulders and corpses were working for now, but it wouldn’t be long before they’d both be overrun.

“Stay still.” Phoenix said, biting his lip as he tried to concentrate. He gave a quick apologetic glance to Edgeworth before warning, “This is going to hurt.”

“ _Configuro_!” Phoenix yelled, aiming directly at the wooden chest which proceeded to immediately explode in a shower of wooden splinters. Parts of the chest’s handles were still attached to Edgeworth’s hands and there were visible chunks of wood speared into his skin, but he was finally able to move away from the pillar.

Phoenix didn’t hesitate in grabbing Edgeworth’s elbow and dragging him towards the stone staircase. There was a slightly-wet feeling where Edgeworth grabbed Phoenix’s upper arm in return, and Phoenix tried to push away the guilt of being the cause of the blood now doubtlessly staining his robes.

They jogged up the stairs, heading closer towards the bright light shining down at them from the center of the cave’s roof. The dead continued to follow behind them, though they seemed to be having more difficultly climbing up the stairs than they did.

They were only a few feet away from the exit, past the worst of the falling rubble, when Phoenix felt a pull at his side. 

“Wait.” Edgeworth said, the source of the pull. Phoenix turned to face him, taking in the bloody mess his hands had become. That wasn’t what most startled him, however. It was the look on Edgeworth’s face. He looked…absolutely terrified.

“We can’t go back.” Edgeworth said, his voice shaking a bit on the words. “We shouldn’t.”

“Edgeworth, what are you talking about?” Phoenix asked. They couldn’t stay here, they had to get out of this place before it was too late!

Edgeworth didn’t seem to take in his words, his eyes looking panicked as he continued to look at Phoenix. “He went and did it.” There was hardly any color left in Edgeworth’s face, “He actually tried—"

“What’s taking you guys so long? Everyone’s waiting out there!” Celeste called out, stepping away from the light and onto the top of the staircase. She had come back for them, something Phoenix would never expect from someone who had tried to make it clear that she only cared about winning.

“Oh Merlin! What happened to your hands?” Celeste asked as she caught sight of Edgeworth. Her presence seemed to snap Edgeworth out of the hysteria he’d been slipping into. He began moving again, pulling Phoenix with him from where they were still connected.

They walked through the light to find themselves back at the Hogwarts courtyard. The doors from before were gone, leaving only the cheering crowds and the professors running up to meet them.

“We lost the camera feeds—we weren’t sure what had happened.” Professor McGonagall explained, looking visibly relieved to see them all in one piece.

“This is all your fault!” Professor Oldbag scolded Gumshoe, who looked both confused and abashed. “They weren’t supposed to do that! I don’t know what happened…” Gumshoe said, trying to defend himself.

“I told you we should have never relied on those ridiculous muggle devices.” Von Karma stated, scowling at the groundskeeper. He tsk’ed when he saw Edgeworth, taking in his various injuries. “Will someone be useful for once and get a nurse?” von Karma practically growled.

Edgeworth stiffened at the sound of von Karma’s voice, a detail Phoenix would’ve missed if Edgeworth wasn’t still tightly gripping his upper arm.

There was a short pause, and then Phoenix felt the warmth of Edgeworth’s breath against his ear as he pressed close into Phoenix’s side. “Meet me in the Room of Requirement, tomorrow night at 12.” Edgeworth whispered, letting go of Phoenix’s arm to approach a very worried nurse, who tutted over his hands as she rushed him off to the infirmary.

Phoenix blinked, having trouble getting all his thoughts together. The crowds were cheering happily, and he could see his friends quickly approaching to either congratulate him or fuss, probably both. There was a loud voice announcing the points each of them were awarded, but Phoenix couldn’t make himself focus enough to take in any of the words.

He felt numb.

Everything had happened so quickly…he wasn’t sure what to think of it all. The cameras malfunctioning would’ve have been one thing, but why had Edgeworth been trapped? What would have happened if Phoenix hadn’t been there to notice in time?

There was something very wrong going on here, he could just feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that was worth the wait! Probably not, but eh. I'm sure some of you are wondering when the next update will come, and the answer to that is...I'm not sure, it really depends on a few things going on in my real life atm. However! It will DEFINITELY not be as long a wait as this last time. Think more along the lines of 2 months rather than 2 years.  
> I also just wanted to thank everyone for all the lovely comments I've received during this hiatus, encouraging me not to give this fic up. I read them all, and your comments were what helped me to pick myself up and get back to writing. I'm sorry I haven't been as great as replying as I used to be. I can get pretty bad anxiety that makes me want to avoid my inbox, but I wanted to let you know just how much I appreciate you all.  
> COMING UP NEXT: Exposition! Consequences from wizard prom! More exposition!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter guys! Here's a present for you all, as thanks for sticking with me. I'm really excited that we've finally reached this part of the story. Hope you enjoy! :)

“Phoenix, what the hell happened in there?” Mia asked, the concern in her face palpable. They were in the Prefect’s bathroom, just the two of them.

It hadn’t taken Phoenix’s friends very long to realize that something was wrong after the second tournament task. They’d already been worried after the camera feed suddenly shut off with no warning. Any thought that it had just been a technical issue must have been wiped away once they’d seen the expression on his face.

He was lucky that it was his friends who had reached him first, and not the throngs of people who were trying to get his attention. Everyone wanted to know what had happened—what everyone had missed out on once the cameras went out. Phoenix could see that Celeste was similarly getting swarmed, crowds of Beauxbaton students congratulating her and asking questions.

Phoenix honestly couldn’t recall the details of what had happened next exactly, still in a state of shock, but his friends had moved quickly.

They must have coordinated beforehand or something, since Mia almost instantly made to pull him away from the crowd while Larry and Maya began to loudly draw everyone’s attention. Phoenix thought he could hear Larry going on about being his “manager” and how any questions could be directed to him instead—though it was hard to hear exactly what his friend was saying over all the cheering and noise.

Phoenix was incredibly grateful for Mia’s solid grip on his shoulder as she led them somewhere quiet. He was so distracted that he didn’t even realize where they were headed until Mia had uttered the passcode to let them into the Prefect’s bathroom.

Even after everything that had just happened, Phoenix couldn’t help but smile when he saw where she had brought them. He shouldn’t have been surprised; it was where they had first met, after all.

“Phoenix.” Mia was touching his shoulder again. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”

Phoenix blinked, shaking his head in order to help clear his thoughts. “Sorry,” he said, “I’m fine. I’m just a little shaken, is all.”

“What happened?” Mia asked again.

Phoenix dragged a hand through his hair, trying to come up with the exact sequence of events that had happened, still trying to figure things out himself. “Okay, so...I’d just gotten the crown, and I was trying to get out of the water when one of those gross skeletons got a hold of me—which I think set the alarm off? It must have, since I’m pretty sure that was when the buzzing started—”

“Wait,” Mia interrupted, “you said the skeleton grabbed you _before_ the alarm went off?”

“Huh?” Phoenix asked, slightly caught off guard that _that_ was the detail Mia was focusing on. He hadn’t even gotten to the worst part yet! But now that she’d pointed it out, that was a bit strange, wasn’t it? Though Phoenix couldn’t pinpoint exactly _why_ it was strange.

Mia scowled, a look of great concentration on her face as she glanced off to the side. “You wouldn’t know this,” she said, “but Professor Oldbag was narrating to the crowd while you were all performing the task. She told us how the enchantment on the undead wouldn’t be activated unless one of you touched anything blue, green, or gold. They shouldn’t have moved unless the alarm had already been set.”

“The skeleton _did_ have a lot of gold rings on.” Phoenix pointed out.

Mia waved away his comment. “Yes, but that’s not the point. You brushing against the skeleton and activating the enchantment is very different from the skeleton moving on it’s own and _making_ you set off the alarm.”

“I mean, I did hit one of them while I was diving for the crown.” Phoenix said, “Maybe the alarm was set off then?”

“That’s possible. But you said the buzzing went off when it touched your leg?”

“I don’t know…” Phoenix rubbed a hand over his face, trying to recall. “Everything was happening all at once. It was a little hard to keep track.”

Mia nodded, still looking contemplative. “What happened next?” She prompted.

“Um, that was when the cameras went out, I think.” Phoenix continued, “They all fell into the lake. Then the water started rushing into the cave and those skeleton-corpses started coming after us. That was when we all got our items to the pillars or whatever, which activated this giant staircase to help lead us out of the cave. Celeste left pretty quickly after that, but I turned back to make sure that Edgeworth was following and—um.” Although the incident was done and over with, Phoenix couldn’t help the flash of anxiety that rushed through him when remembering how Edgeworth had been trapped. “He was still stuck at the pillar. He couldn’t pull his hands away from the wooden chest he’d retrieved. And he couldn’t move it off of the pillar either—I tried to help too, but it didn’t make any difference.”  

Phoenix closed his eyes tightly, pushing away the memory of Edgeworth telling him to leave him behind. “I ended up hitting the chest with a _Configuro_ spell just so we could get out of there. That’s why his hands are all busted up.”

“I see.” Mia frowned deeply. She paused for a moment before speaking again: “There’s no way that was meant to be a part of the task. Putting aside that such a challenge would be incredibly dangerous, the fact that it only happened to Edgeworth proves it—the tasks aren’t designed to favor one champion over another. There’s no way around it: you’ll have to tell Professor Mcgonagall about what happened.” Mia finished.

“No!” Phoenix shouted without thinking. He couldn’t articulate why, exactly, but he knew that wasn’t the right move. It was a gut feeling.

Mia raised her eyebrow, and Phoenix knew he’d have to try and explain.

“It wasn’t a freak accident.” Phoenix began, feeling more sure of his words and the truth behind them as he spoke. “I think it was a trap. That something—or someone—was trying to get Edgeworth out of the picture. Someone on the inside. ”

Professor von Karma had to be a part of it, he just knew it. Phoenix had a bad feeling about him from the start, and the way Edgeworth had reacted earlier when his mentor appeared only corroborated his feelings.

Phoenix might trust Professor Mcgonagall in general, but he didn’t trust her to not share any information she had with her fellow headmasters. There was no way that von Karma wouldn’t be alerted to anything concerning the tournament.

Phoenix could see the exact moment that Mia understood what he was saying.

“You think someone was trying to kill him.” Mia said.

Phoenix’s mouth ran dry at the statement. But it was the truth, wasn’t it? Edgeworth would’ve died if Phoenix hadn’t noticed he was trapped—if not from drowning, then from the boulders or the skeletons from the tournament task.

Still, it was a shock to hear Mia state it so bluntly. Phoenix didn’t realize he’d been moving backwards until his back hit the porcelain tiles of the bathroom wall. From there it was an easy slide to the floor. “Yeah.” Phoenix sighed, putting his head in his hands. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”  

What would’ve happened if Phoenix hadn’t entered his name into the Goblet of Fire? What if someone else had been chosen as the Hogwarts champion? Would they have checked on Edgeworth? Or would they have left the cave without a second thought, like Celeste had? How long would it take for anyone to notice that Miles was missing?

“Phoenix.” Mia’s voice was coming from nearby. She was kneeling beside him, her voice purposely calm and low. “We have to think about this logically. Why would someone want Miles Edgeworth dead?”

“I don’t know!” Phoenix cried out. “I don’t...I don’t know anything.” He repeated in a lower, defeated tone as he stared at the bathroom floor. “The only thing I _do_ know is that there’s still so many things Edgeworth hasn’t told me, that he’s been dealing with all by himself. But…” Phoenix looked up from the floor to the figure of his kneeling friend, “He was really scared, Mia. He didn’t want us to come back...He literally wanted to stay in a cave falling in on itself rather than return to Hogwarts. I don’t know if he would’ve come back, if Celeste hadn’t shown up. I’ve _never_ seen him like that. Not even when we were kids.” Phoenix could feel the beginnings of tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “He told me he wanted to meet up with me tomorrow but...but what if it’s too late by then? If someone’s trying to — to hurt him, what’s to stop them from trying to finish the job _tonight_?” The thought of it was enough to make him start crying in earnest.

“Phoenix.” There was the warm weight of Mia’s hand as she placed it on his shoulder again. “I know you’re worried. You probably should be, to be frank.” Phoenix let out a wet snort at the comment.

“But,” Mia continued, “we have to take into account what we already know. If the cameras malfunctioning and the incident with Edgeworth are related—and I’m nearly certain they are—then it means whoever is trying to get rid of him doesn’t want to leave any evidence.” Mia’s grip on his shoulder tightened by a fraction. “There’s too many potential witnesses for them to try and kill Edgeworth on Hogwarts campus. It’s unlikely that they’ll try again so soon after their plan failed.”

“But you do think they’ll try again?” Phoenix asked.    

“...I don’t know.” Mia answered after a moment, though her pause very much sounded like an implied _‘yes’_. “There’s too many unknown variables at this point. You said that Edgeworth wanted to talk to you? Then talk. Find out what you can.”

“Even if Edgeworth _does_ tell me about what’s happening, what can I do about it?” Phoenix’s voice was still thick from crying. “I’m just...me.”

“Stop that.” Mia scolded, looking genuinely irritated. “From what you’ve told me, it already sounds like you’ve been a great help. Edgeworth could have very well died today if it weren’t for you. He’s not alone _because_ of you. And…” Mia removed her cell phone from the inner pocket of her robes, displaying a screen filled with text notifications for him to see, “You aren’t alone either.”

Mia moved the screen of her phone closer so that Phoenix could read out the several messages currently glued to her notifications page.

_Maya: Is Nick okay??? You guys have been gone for a while! We’re worried :((_

_Larry: Tell him how cool he looked on the screen! Better yet—get him back here so I can tell ‘im myself!!_

_Larry: seriously where are you two??_

_Ema: Is Phoenix alright? He didn’t look too good earlier. Anyways, It’s hard to tell since the equipment is so water-clogged, but it doesn’t look like there was [...]_

_Lana: Let him know that we’re proud of him. And Professor McGonagall seems shaken, but I’m not sure whether she believes there’s foul play involved. Poor Gumshoe is [...]_

Phoenix blinked, eyes heavy from crying, as he stared at the textual evidence of his friend’s concern for him. Ema and Lana’s messages were too long to fully display on the notification screen, but he could see the first part of their texts, both of which seemed to be comments directed towards him.

“I already told you, we aren’t going to let you do this by yourself.” Mia smiled, her fingers moving as she entered the passcode to get into the message app on her phone, her eyes flitting back and forth as she quickly scanned her texts. “I sent Lana and Ema to do some investigating while we stepped out. Ema went to check on the cameras, since she’s the best of us with technology. And with Lana being a prefect, it wouldn’t be too suspicious if she were to ask the headmasters questions about what happened.”

“You guys…” Phoenix quickly wiped at his eyes before moving to hug Mia tightly around her middle.

“I haven’t even told you what they found out.” Mia laughed softly, returning the embrace with the arm which wasn’t currently being used to hold her phone. “Ema’s text said that there didn’t seem to be anything technically wrong with the cameras, which suggests there was some kind of magical interference involved. I’m sure Gumshoe would second the opinion if prompted, seeing as he’s the closest Hogwarts has to a Muggle technology expert, but from what Lana has told me, the incident has shaken Professor McGonagall’s and everyone’s faith in him. At this point it might seem like he’s just trying to take the blame off of himself.” Mia looked like she felt sorry for the Hogwarts caretaker, a sentiment Phoenix couldn’t help but second. “Lana said that the headmasters are worried, but no one seems too suspicious at the moment.” She finished.

Mia pulled away from the hug, her hand returning to rest on Phoenix’s left shoulder. “Now come on. It’s time for dinner. Everyone’s dying to see you, and you’ll need to get _something_ in you after the day you’ve had.“

Phoenix’s stomach rumbled as if on cue. The sound wasn’t too surprising, seeing as he hadn’t eaten anything since the tournament task started earlier (unless you counted Pearl’s enchanted butterscotches). Now that some of the adrenaline and shock had worn out, Phoenix could freely feel the tell-tale signs of hunger and exhaustion. There was still that tight knot of anxiety in his chest regarding his worry over Edgeworth but, after talking with Mia, it was easier to put it aside (for now, at least).

“Yeah, eating right now sounds like a good plan.” Phoenix nodded, letting Mia lead the way out of the Prefect’s bathroom.

Their friends were all waiting for them in the Grand Hall at one of their usual spots—Maya, Ema, and Larry visibly waving them over once they caught sight of Phoenix and Mia entering the Hall. Lana had saved a seat besides her which Mia naturally slide into, as per their routine. Phoenix grabbed one of the empty chairs by Maya, pleasantly surprised to see that Iris was continuing her recent streak of joining them for dinner.

“Good job today, Phoenix.” She congratulated him shyly from her spot across the table.

“Sucks that we didn’t get to see the end, though.” Ema commented in between bites of her dinner. Maya looked as if she was about to ask him something about that, but stopped as she saw Mia shake her head.

“Yeah Nick! Celeste might be in the lead now, but you’re only three points behind!” Larry said excitedly, “You could still win the whole thing!”

“Huh?” Phoenix replied. He’d been too distracted to have been paying attention when they’d originally announced the champions’ scores.

“Yeah, Celeste won 45 points this round, putting her in the lead with 80 points.” Ema added helpfully. “You actually got the least amount this time, since you were the last one to exit the maze. But you won some decent points fighting against that boggart, and your lead from the first task puts you in second place.”

“Your score is currently at 77.” Lana stated matter-of-factly.

“Man, Edgeworth’s gotta be pissed, being in last and all.” Larry continued. “Sure, he’s only behind you by one point, but you know how he is. That’s gotta sting.”

After what had happened, Phoenix was pretty sure that being in last place was the least of Edgeworth’s worries at the moment.

“Enough tournament talk.” Mia said, giving Larry a shrewd look. “Leat the poor man eat in peace.”

“Yeah!” Maya added, “Can’t you see he’s starving?” She said while motioning towards Phoenix dramatically. He rolled his eyes in return, which only made Maya smile wider. Phoenix barely protested as she took his plate and started piling on copious amounts of food. Sure, Maya’s choice of food tended to lean more on the greasier side than Phoenix was usually comfortable with, but he was tired and it looked good.

Phoenix ate with the comforting sound of his friends chatting in the background, grateful for both their support and the distraction they provided.

~

Phoenix woke up that morning knowing that Mia had been right. He definitely _did_ feel better after eating and getting a good night’s sleep. Did he wake up feeling great? Of course not. He was sore all over from yesterday, and the fact that someone had tried to kill his childhood friend/crush was still a Thing that had happened.

But he was feeling—dare he say it—almost optimistic. He had good friends who were there for him. Both he and Edgeworth had made it out of the second tournament task in (more or less) one piece. Edgeworth wanted to talk to him tonight, might _finally_ be willing to open up once and for all. They could figure out where to go from there, both him and Edgeworth, together.

It took approximately twenty seconds for his good mood to completely evaporate.

“NICK!” Larry yelled, hovering above Phoenix’s dorm bed. He was waving some sort of newspaper in his left hand. Phoenix thought he vaguely recognized it as the ‘Daily Prophet’. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Larry continued, crying despondently.

“Tell you what?” Phoenix answered, still a little groggy.

Larry’s answer was to shove the newspaper directly into Phoenix’s face. The strong scent of ink and thin paper filled his nostrils. It took a moment for Phoenix to muster up the will-power needed to pull the paper into a more visible position, sitting up in his bed and looking down at the paper now in his lap. Phoenix immediately wished he hadn’t bothered.

“Oh my god.” The words came out involuntarily as Phoenix got a look at the paper’s front headline.

**‘ROMANTIC RIVALS? TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS CAUGHT IN SECRET RENDEZVOUS.’**

(March 15 2010) by Rita Skeeter

‘ _Things are heating up in the Triwizard tournament after the conclusion of the second task yesterday, leaving Celeste Inpax in a fiery lead of 80 points. However, the real spark seems to be between her two fellow champions: Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth.The delivery of an anonymous photo to our office catches the two in a romantic embrace_ _—_ _hinting that there’s more than a friendly rivalry between the two contestants. The photo may shed some new light on the mysterious conclusion of the tournament trial yesterday, in which the camera feed recording the champions was unexpectedly cut-off. Audiences had to wait with bated breath before the safe appearance of Celeste Inpax, who then later returned to the site of the task in order to retrieve her fellow champions after a noted absence._

_“It does seem rather strange,” noted a Hogwarts student shortly after the incident, “the two of them were by themselves for a while there, without any supervision. Who knows what they were up to during that time?”. “Who knows” indeed? Well, we might have a few theories for you readers..._ **CONTINUE ON PAGE 5**

Phoenix could feel the blood drain from his face as he read the first snippet of the article.

What was really terrible, however, was the image resting directly under the headline: a picture of him and Edgeworth slow dancing on the night of the Yule Ball.

Like all magical photographs, it captured a five second scene animated in an infinite loop. They were swaying close together, Edgeworth’s forehead leaning against Phoenix’s left shoulder, his cheeks a visible pink—an effect which Phoenix knew was from the brandy they’d been secretly drinking that night but which, taken out of context, looked to be something completely different. At some point during their dancing Edgeworth’s right hand had slid from its proper spot on Phoenix’s shoulder to rest on his chest, his grip wrinkling the blue material of Phoenix’s robes. Phoenix’s arm was loosely wrapped around Edgeworth’s lower back, and he was whispering something into Edgeworth’s ear with an utterly besotted look on his face. The loop ended with Edgeworth laughing softly into Phoenix’s chest, then replaying the scene all over again. The entire thing looked damningly intimate.

Phoenix stared unblinkingly at the animated photo as it looped four times. Was he breathing? It felt like he wasn’t breathing.

“Why didn’t you tell me you two were together?” Larry said, teary-eyed. “We’re supposed to be best friends, Nick!”

“Wait, what?” Larry’s words snapped Phoenix out of the daze brought on by the photo. “We’re not together!”

Larry, in response, pointed at the moving photograph emphatically.

“I mean yeah, we slow danced…” Phoenix replied weakly, before remembering something else from that night. “You were there at the dance, you saw us! You gave me a thumbs up.”

“Yeah,” Larry acceded, “but when I saw you, you were both desperately avoiding all eye contact! This?” Larry pointed at the picture again. “This is straight up cuddling.”

Phoenix spluttered at the accusation, unsure of how to respond in front of such damning evidence. “It wasn’t! We were dancing!” If you could call drunken swaying dancing. “We were platonically slow dancing! No feelings involved!”

Larry just raised his eyebrows in disbelief at the last statement. Phoenix buckled under the look.

“I mean...okay fine. There’s feelings on my part. Are you happy?” Phoenix sighed. “But we’re not together! I’m pretty sure he doesn’t feel anything like that for me.” Larry pointed to the picture again and looked like he had a response to that, so Phoenix cut him off before he could start. “I know what it looks like! But he’s not...we’d both been drinking.” Phoenix finished weakly.

Larry sat down besides Phoenix on the bed. “You had alcohol at the Yule ball and you didn’t share it with me?” His face oozed disappointment. “That’s cold, man.”

Phoenix groaned in exasperation. “It wasn’t mine! Edgeworth was the one who brought it in.”

Larry was legitimately surprised at that statement. “Edgeworth, really? I didn’t think he had it in him.” Larry’s voice sounded almost proud.

“Yeah.” Phoenix said, relieved that was he was saying was finally getting through to Larry. “That’s why Edgeworth’s face was so red. Because of the brandy.”

Larry paused, staring back at the photo while taking in this information. He spoke again after a few moments. “I don’t know, dude. Still seems pretty gay to me. I mean, I’ve had a few drinks with you before and we sure as hell didn’t end up looking all lovey-dovey like that.”

Phoenix dragged a hand across his face. “Yeah, but I don’t have a giant crush on you Larry.”

Larry grinned and nudged Phoenix’s arm with his elbow. “That you know of, you mean.”

Phoenix stared at him, deadpanned. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I don’t.”

“Your loss.”

Phoenix ignored the comment, a horrible thought suddenly occurring to him. “Wait. Larry, where did you get this?” He asked, holding up the copy of the ‘Daily Prophet’.

“In the Common Room, duh.” Larry answered. “That’s where they always put the new issues. There’s probably some more in the Grand Hall, if you want one of your own.”

“So you’re telling me there’s a bunch of these all over campus?” Phoenix asked, dread laced in his tone.

“Yup!” Larry responded cheerfully. “You’re famous now! A front page on the ‘Daily Prophet’, that’s some pretty good publicity!”

Phoenix buried his head inside his hands, desperately wishing he could somehow disappear off the face of the earth. For a brief moment he considered running around campus and collecting the issues before anyone could see them. But, unfortunately, he had slept in after being so exhausted from the events of yesterday. It was probably already too late. Not to mention the fact that he wouldn’t be able to get into the other Houses’ Common Rooms to take their issues.

“Aww, c’mon Nick...it’s not that bad!” Larry said, finally realizing that Phoenix was very much not pleased about making headlines. “It’s a pretty nice photo, actually. You should frame it!”

Phoenix simply groaned in response. This was the worst thing that could have possibly happened to him. Anyone with eyes would be able to tell that Phoenix’s feelings were far from platonic after seeing that picture.

Oh God. Edgeworth would probably see it too, wouldn’t he? He even _liked_ reading the newspaper, the nerd. He’d probably already seen it!

“Ughhh.” Phoenix groaned, that train of thought suddenly hitting him all at once. “What’s Edgeworth going to say when he sees this?” Another terrible thought occurred to him. “Oh Merlin, what if Professor _von Karma_ sees it?”

Phoenix didn’t even know if that old guy read the ‘Daily Prophet’, but the chance that he might see the article was enough to make him nervous, for Edgeworth’s sake if not his own. Would that make things even worse? Phoenix still didn’t know if von Karma had anything to do with the ‘accident’ yesterday at the trial, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was involved somehow. Even putting aside all of that, Phoenix already knew from his conversations with Maya about Franziska that the man was clearly homophobic.

_There’s always the chance he doesn’t see you as a guy_ , his brain helpfully reminded him. Von Karma had to know Phoenix was a trans man now, if he hadn’t before. His encounter with the boggart yesterday should’ve been enough to clue him in, as well as anyone else watching. Phoenix really didn’t care what gender von Karma considered him as, more worried about how the man’s prejudices would affect his treatment of Edgeworth.

Larry wasn’t listening to him, his attention back on the newspaper. “You sure Edgey doesn’t like you back?” Larry asked. “Cause this doesn’t look one-sided to me.”

“Larry, please. Can you not joke around? I really can’t handle it right now.” Phoenix’s thoughts were starting to turn him into a nervous wreck. He felt like he needed to do _something_ , but he wasn’t sure what.

“I’m not joking!” Larry frowned, his expression entirely sincere. “You should just ask him! You’re supposed to talk to him tonight, right? Just say: Hey Edgeworth, do you like-like me? Yes or no? It’s that easy!”

“That is not happening.” Phoenix deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “And _like-like_ , really Larry? What, are we in grade school now?”

“Well do you have any better ideas?” Larry sniffed, crossing his arms self-defensively.

“Not really.” Phoenix admitted. Though his ‘try-to-steal-all-the-newspaper-copies’ plan was looking more and more attractive by the minute. “But I think I need to get out of here.” He added, hopping from the dorm bed and trying to find a clean pair of robes he could throw on.

“Don’t forget my advice!” Larry called out as Phoenix left the Hufflepuff boy’s dormitory, unsure of where exactly he was headed. He passed through the Common Room and saw two more copies of the newspaper still resting on one of the tables. Phoenix grabbed both of them and shoved them into his robes—it was probably hopeless, but that was still two less copies wandering around campus.

Stealing the newspapers made him feel like he had accomplished something, even if it was small. Sure, it was unlikely that he could stop either Edgeworth or Professor von Karma from seeing the article, but at least he was _trying_.

With that in mind, Phoenix resolved to check out the Grand Hall and see if he couldn’t get rid of even more of them.

He tried to ignore some of the pointed looks he was getting as he walked across campus, unsure if the attention was because of his status as a champion or if the article had already circulated through Hogwarts’ gossip circles. He was starting to suspect it might be the later, after walking past a group of girls who giggled as he passed by. Though he’d take giggling over glaring any day, considering the impressive dirty looks he was getting from some other female students—it looked like Edgeworth’s ‘admirers’ weren’t too happy with him.

Phoenix tried his best to ignore the looks and kept moving. He was almost through the Grand Hall entrance when he spotted a familiar mop of red hair moving across the hallways.

_Dahlia_.

Phoenix was walking towards her before even making the conscious decision to confront her. Phoenix may have been drinking on the night of the Yule Ball, but he hadn’t had enough to forget that it was Dahlia who’d been taking pictures of the event. And hadn’t he thought he’d seen a camera flash when he and Edgeworth were slow dancing? It was definitely not a coincidence; the picture and the article had Dahlia’s fingerprints all over it.

“Hey, you!” Phoenix said as soon as he was close enough. Dahlia turned to face him, her face scrunching in derision when she saw who was accosting her. “I need to talk to you.” Phoenix repeated once he saw he had her attention.

Dahlia sighed, as if this were a tremendous thing to request of her, but leaned against the nearby wall. “Talk then.” She said.

Phoenix paused, wondering if they should really have this conversation _here_. They were in the hallway nearby one of the moving staircases. And while there weren’t a lot of students around, they were definitely not alone, and the few students who were around were doing a terrible job of pretending not to be interested in their conversation.

Then again, it was almost impossible to get Dahlia’s attention. She was always running off somewhere, and he really didn’t want to wait until their Potion’s class to talk. And so what if other people were listening? Dahlia was the one in the wrong here, not him.

Phoenix decided not to waste any time, pulling out and displaying one of the newspapers he’d stolen earlier. “So yeah, Dahlia, what the fuck is this?”

“It looks like an issue of the ‘Daily Prophet’.” Dahlia said, unimpressed.

Phoenix resisted the urge to groan. “That’s not what I mean and you know it.” He pointed to the image of him and Edgeworth slow dancing. “You took this picture and sold it to the press!”

Dahlia began to examine her nails. “That’s quite an accusation, you know. It’s true I took the picture, but there’s no proof that I was the one who gave it to the paper.”

“What ‘proof’?” Phoenix asked, incredulous. “You’re the only one who could’ve done it!”

Dahlia looked up at him then, a slight smile adorning her face. “Now, now, that’s not true actually. A week after the Yule Ball I reported my camera as stolen...along with all the images on it. There’s papers documenting the theft and everything.” Dahlia gave a small sigh that sounded anything but genuine . “They even took one of my necklaces, you know? So you see, it could have been _anyone_ , really.”  

“You are so full of shit.” Phoenix replied, still convinced it had been Dahlia. It was just like her to cover her tracks.

Dahlia ignored the comment, instead returning Phoenix’s glare with one of her own. “You know,” she said, her voice lowering an octave, “you have a lot of nerve accusing me after that incident yesterday.”

“What?” Phoenix asked, caught off guard. What had he done to Dahlia? The only thing he’d done yesterday was compete in the tournament trial. Unless...

“Wait, are you mad at me because I turned boggart-you’s hair green?” Phoenix asked, unsure of what else Dahlia could be referring to.

“No.” Dahlia scoffed then. “Though I would’ve preferred going the rest of my life without knowing how that particular shade looked on me.” Dahlia toyed with a few red locks that were resting over her shoulder. “I’m irritated because you seem to think I’d _ever_ say the things that boggart said.”

“Wait, what?” Phoenix asked, starting to lose track of where this conversation was going.

Dahlia rolled her eyes then, before giving him a pointed stare. “I’m from _Kurain,_ Phoenix. Sure, I think you’re pathetic. I’ll stand by that part of the boggart’s little speech. But I resent the fact you’d think I’d _ever_ refer to you as a girl. You being a boy is, like, the fourth thing I hate most about you.” Dahlia tossed the hair she had been playing with over her shoulder. “Men in general are useless.”

Phoenix didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Also,” Dahlia continued, “I don’t think I’m very comfortable with being a representation of all your insecurities.”

“The boggart turned into Edgeworth too.” Phoenix felt like he had to point out.

“Yes, but you’re clearly enamored with him.” Dahlia waved the comment away. “Everyone is scared of what their crush thinks. So why me? Unless...” She narrowed her eyes at him then, “Unless you still have feelings for me?” Dahlia frowned. “I thought I trained you out of that.”

_Wow, thanks for the ‘trained’ line,_ Phoenix thought as his face scrunched uncomfortably at the suggestion. “Trust me,” he said, “that ship has _long_ sailed.”

“Good.” Dahlia seemed satisfied with his answer. “Then we’re done here.” Dahlia moved from her leaning position on the wall. “I’ll see you in Potions then.” With that said, she walked away before Phoenix could formulate a response.

He stood there for a while after she left, shocked by how the conversation had turned out. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but it certainly hadn’t been _that_.

_I will never understand her,_ Phoenix thought before deciding to shake the encounter from his mind. He’d been heading to the Grand Hall for a reason. His plan to try and get rid of all the ‘Daily Prophet’ papers wasn’t a great plan, but it was his. And he’d try his best to see it through before his meeting with Edgeworth tonight. Hopefully by then it wasn’t too late.

~

By the end of the day Phoenix had thrown away around twenty five copies of the newspapers—though he hadn’t been quick enough to stop most of them from circulating through Hogwarts. Several students had already approached him to ask if he was “sleeping with the enemy”, an accusation Phoenix had fervently denied, what little good that seemed to do.

Around eight he had given up, figuring that he should eat and get ready for his meeting with Edgeworth that night. Hopefully he had gotten rid of enough newspapers to ensure that Professor von Karma wouldn’t see any.

He didn’t hold out hope that Edgeworth hadn’t heard about it—if Phoenix had been asked about it, it was likely that Edgeworth had been too. Though he hadn’t seen Edgeworth around campus anywhere, so maybe there was still a chance he hadn’t heard about it? Whatever. He wasn’t counting on it.

Phoenix just hoped that Edgeworth was still willing to meet and talk with him.

No, he shouldn’t think like that. It was his nerves talking. Edgeworth had bigger concerns than a rumor about his love life...someone had literally tried to kill him yesterday, after all. How the tabloids portrayed him was probably at the bottom of his priorities list.

There was still the chance that Edgeworth would see the picture and realize that Phoenix was ‘enamored’ with him, as Dahlia had put it. But if that happened Phoenix would tell him that he wasn’t expecting anything, that he would still try to help Edgeworth regardless of how he felt. And if Edgeworth was creeped out and didn’t want to see him after the tournament finished and he was no longer in danger, then Phoenix would back off! Whatever kept Edgeworth safe and comfortable.

It would be humiliating to lay out all of his feelings like that, without a doubt. And it would hurt. But Phoenix would do it. He wouldn’t let his _inconvenient feelings_ get in the way of Edgeworth getting help.

Phoenix mentally committed himself to that decision, and was disappointed when his resolution did absolutely nothing for his nerves. If anything he was feeling even more anxious.

That was part of the reason he found himself heading to the Room of Requirement a little early, around 11 or so. Phoenix figured he could just wait there and try to pace out some of his nervous energy before Edgeworth arrived.

Phoenix had no trouble finding the place—back in his fifth year the Room of Requirement  had been the place where he could discreetly train as an animangus. It was with familiarity that he walked up to the seventh floor of campus and turned to the left, walking past the weird “troll ballet” tapestry three times while trying to focus on his planned meeting with Edgeworth. On his third trip a door materialized across from the tapestry.

Phoenix opened the door to find a room fairly similar to the one he would use while doing his transfiguration training. It was a small, almost cozy, space decorated minimally. The one piece of furniture featured was a long beige couch, on which Miles Edgeworth was sitting. The restlessness that had been bothering Phoenix all day suddenly took a back seat at the sight of him. All of his nerves were shoved aside by an overwhelming sense of _relief_.

Edgeworth was here, he was _alright_.

Well, perhaps ‘alright’ was a bit generous. He didn’t look as awful or frightened as he had when they’d first escaped from the cave through the portal into Hogwarts. But there was a weariness in his face, like he hadn’t slept since the end of the second tournament task. He wasn’t wearing his usual pink robes, just his slacks, a long sleeved shirt and a vest. At the very least there were no longer any chucks of wood stuck in his hands—his palms now wrapped with thick white bandages.

“Hey.” Phoenix said, waving awkwardly before he could stop himself.

“You’re here early.” Edgeworth said, clearly surprised to see him.

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t really have anything else to do, so...” Phoenix explained, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. He refrained from mentioning that Edgeworth was _also_ here an hour early.

The two of them stared at each other for another awkward moment.

“You should sit.” Edgeworth spoke, gesturing to his right towards the empty spot on the couch.

“Oh, thanks.” Phoenix crossed his legs as he took a seat, positioning himself so that his back was up against the armchair and his front was facing Edgeworth.

“How are your hands doing?” Phoenix asked.

“They’re as well as can be expected, I suppose.” Edgeworth shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.” Phoenix said. “I wish I had more time to come up with an escape plan that didn’t involve blasting your hands into bloody pieces.”

Edgeworth turned to him and frowned. “Why are you apologizing? What you did was necessary.”

It was true, though Phoenix did still feel bad.

“Thank you for coming, by the way.” Edgeworth added, switching his gaze to his lap. “I do...appreciate it.”

“Of course.” Phoenix replied. They sat in silence for a moment, where Phoenix waited for Edgeworth to talk without any result.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” Phoenix spoke, his voice conveying more hope than he’d meant to. But Edgeworth nodded—a quick and stilted movement which nonetheless warmed Phoenix’s chest.

“It’s...difficult for me to know where to start.” Edgeworth sighed then, looking at Phoenix out of the corner of his eye. “You have to understand. These are things I’ve never told anyone.”

“That’s okay.” Phoenix tried to give him an encouraging smile. “You can take all the time that you want.” Edgeworth nodded again, seeming to take the words to heart.

“It will be difficult, talking about this after so long. But…” Edgeworth looked up again, a spark of defiance entering his eyes as he finished his sentence, “but I want to try.”

“I’ll be listening.” Phoenix said.

Edgeworth angled his face away, his torso turning slightly at the movement. “It’s...easier like this.” He explained after a moment. His bandaged hands laid palms up in his lap, visibly tense with his effort to not close them into fists. Phoenix wasn’t sure if he even could close them, with how tight the bandages were wrapped.

“It’s true that I don’t remember anything from that night.” Edgeworth began, his voice a slight octave higher than usual. “The night my father died.” Edgeworth’s voice cracked on the last word, but he didn’t pause, letting out the next sentence in a quick rush: “But I remember the morning after.”

Phoenix didn’t say anything, somehow knowing that it was better to not interrupt now that Edgeworth had begun.

“I didn’t know what had happened, at first. It was early, and I had woken up on the floor. That wasn’t unusual the mornings after...after I’d transform. And then, well—I’m not sure if you’d remember,” Edgeworth sent a quick glance towards Phoenix, “but I’ve never been at my best in the morning.”

“Yeah, I know.” Phoenix smirked, remembering. He could recall a few yawns in class which Miles had either forced away or stubbornly hid behind a book, clearly irritated with himself at the involuntary response.

Edgeworth’s gaze slide back to a distant corner in the room. “I wasn’t fully awake yet. I headed to the bathroom on muscle memory and when I saw the sink I—I realized one of my hands were sticky. I began washing before I recognized it was blood. And then I had thought—“ Edgeworth closed his eyes, “I thought I had cut myself, somehow, in my sleep. I scrubbed my hand clean, trying to find the incision, but there was none. In the time that had passed I’d begun to realize how quiet it was. There should have been the sound of a tea kettle or—or a coffee maker, for the man who had been staying with us that past week. My father was an early riser, and I had _never_ woken up before him. That was when I started to realize that something...something must have been wrong.”

Edgeworth’s eyes were open again, though they were glazed. “I saw that our couch had been overturned when I returned to the living room, objects strewn about as if there had been a struggle. I followed the broken glass of our coffee table only to find my father’s body.” The words were said mechanically, as if Edgeworth was reciting a story someone else had told him.

“I don’t know how long I stood there.” Edgeworth said. “I was in shock, no doubt. I don’t know how much time passed before the ministry arrived—to this day I still don’t know who alerted them. Things began to move quickly after that. An auror appareted me to a hospital, where they examined me and tried to ask questions. I had temporarily lost the ability to speak, so I wasn’t able to tell them anything until the next day.”

Phoenix could remember that happening once or twice during their first year at Hogwarts, when Miles suddenly lost the ability to speak when he was stressed out or tired.

“By the time I was able to tell them anything they had already captured Yanni Yogi for the murder of my father. He had run away from our house before I had woken up, but he hadn’t been able to go far. My father’s death had been determined to be caused by wounds consistent with werewolf claws, and Yanni Yogi was a registered werewolf who had run away from the scene of the crime.”  

Edgeworth smirked then, a dull and lifeless thing. “It should have been a simple cut-and-dry case, except there were a few complications: the lack of a motive on Yogi’s part, and me of course.”

“My father was a well-known werewolf advocate, had taken in Yanni Yogi after he had been caught and registered as a werewolf, his wand revoked. They had been working on something, something my father had thought I was too young to be involved with. Why would Yanni Yogi kill the one man who had offered him aid? If it had been an accident, if he had killed my father in a blind-rage, then why had I been spared?”

“Of course, no one knew that I was also a werewolf.” Edgeworth said, a hint of self-loathing in his tone. “If something had gone wrong with Yogi’s potion, then it would explain why I had been spared. Werewolves only attack humans, after all.”

Phoenix nodded, well aware of that particular bit of trivia. It was why he had been so motivated to become an animagus in the first place—a werewolf would only attack a human when transformed. If he were an animal instead, then he could be safely be with Miles even during the full moon.

“I thought about telling the ministry that, in the beginning.” Edgeworth continued. “But my father had always been so adamant that I not tell _anyone_ about my lycanthropy. It felt wrong, somehow, to go against his orders so soon after his death. And, even then...there was the thought in my mind.” Edgeworth’s voice lowered into a near-whisper: “That it had been me, that I had been the one to kill him.”

“It terrified me.” Edgeworth raised his voice back to its normal range. “I didn’t want to believe it. And there were still so many unanswered questions...the ministry’s examination revealed that I had been struck with an _Oblivate_ spell. Yanni Yogi didn’t have a wand, and my father’s had been broken in the struggle, too destroyed to determine whether the spell had been cast. What had I been forced to forget? _Who_ had forced me to forget? And, more importantly, why would I ever kill my father? I-I loved him.” Edgeworth’s voice cracked at that statement. “And there _shouldn’t_ have been anything wrong with my Wolfsbane potion. I took it just like I was supposed to, like I always did. And my father was a Potions professor...it seemed unlikely that he would make such a costly mistake in making the Wolfsbane, when he never had before.”

“So I told myself it was Yanni Yogi, that it had to have been. Him refusing to take the veritaserum only strengthened my conviction. Yet, even after he had been sentenced and sent to Azkaban, I would still have the same nightmare every night—that I was the one who had...had torn him. That it had been my _father’s_ blood on my hand that morning.”

“Oh, Miles…” Phoenix breathed, heartbroken that Edgeworth had been dealing with this for so long.

“But then…” Edgeworth took in a deep breath as if to steady himself, “Then we dueled.”

Phoenix blinked in surprise at the sudden turn the conversation had taken. Edgeworth turned to face him, as if he’d been expecting Phoenix’s confusion.

“That day, when my Severing Charm missed and hit my mentor,” Edgeworth continued, “I saw something I shouldn’t have. The material of his suit on his left shoulder had been ripped, do you remember?”

“Yeah.” Phoenix replied. He didn’t think he could ever forget the scream von Karma had let out when he’d been struck.

“I went to get a better look, to see how badly I had cut him.” Edgeworth said, “But what I saw...it was a scar. Like my own.” Edgeworth rolled up the sleeve of his right arm, revealing the same werewolf bite that he had shown Phoenix all those years ago.

“Do you see this?” Edgeworth asked, pointing to the silver tint along the edges of the old scar. “This only occurs when a wound is inflicted by a werewolf. I saw the same thing on Professor von Karma’s shoulder, though his was in the shape of claws rather than a bite.”

“Wait…” Phoenix thought he was starting to catch on, “Are you saying von Karma is a werewolf too?”

Edgeworth shook his head. “No, that’s not it. I’ve seen him on the night of the full moon many times, and he has never transformed like I do. But it does mean that he was attacked by one, the claw marks not deep enough to infect with lycanthropy. And the shape of the scar...it was much smaller than my own. As if he had been scratched a very small werewolf. One who wasn’t fully grown.”

Edgeworth’s words were sinking in. “Oh my god...so you think it was you who caused the scar?”

“It would place him on the night of my father’s murder, and it would explain the blood I found that morning.” Edgeworth replied. “But I wasn’t sure.”

“And then, there was the letter Yanni Yogi had sent me before he died.” Edgeworth said. “It was more a ramble than a letter, difficult to follow, which was part of the reason I had originally dismissed it. But he wrote that he had been assisting my father with a case against Manfred von Karma—claimed that he was a Death Eater in charge of managing the werewolves used in Voldemort’s army, of which Yogi had once been a part of.”

“I had thought it was a trick. That he had heard of von Karma’s guardianship over me, had wanted to turn me against my mentor for some reason.” Edgeworth grimaced then. “It seems stupid now, but that was what I had thought.”

“Edgeworth, you’re not stupid.” Phoenix felt like he had to say.

“I appreciate the sentiment.” Edgeworth replied, his smirk dry. “But yes, Yogi’s claims began to seem plausible after I saw the scar. Even his choice not to take the veritaserum sounded reasonable, after discussing it with you.”

“So I decided to investigate.” Edgeworth said. “I snuck into von Karma’s study, trying to see if I could find evidence one way or the other. I took his brandy as well, hoping to cover my tracks.”

“Did you find anything?” Phoenix asked.

Edgeworth nodded, pulling out a folded piece of paper from his vest pocket. He handed it to Phoenix, who unfolded it to see a hasty sketch of some sort of gloves.

“I didn’t want to risk taking it.” Edgeworth explained. “They’re weapons. A pair of leather gloves—incredibly well-made, unsurprisingly considering his tastes—each of them with with long claws attached to the fingertips. I didn’t have enough time to investigate them thoroughly but, based on my uh...personal expertise...they resemble werewolf claws.”

Phoenix caught on quickly to the unspoken implication. If Manfred von Karma had used those gloves, then whatever wounds inflicted by them would seem like they were caused by a werewolf. Like the wounds that had killed Edgeworth’s father.

“Holy crap.” Phoenix said, after taking a moment to process everything. “That’s. A lot.” Then Phoenix realized how that might sound. “Not that I’m not glad you didn’t tell me!” Phoenix amended, “I’m honestly really happy that you did.”

Edgeworth nodded, gently grabbing the sketch from Phoenix’s hands and placing it back in his vest pocket.

“What happened yesterday,” Edgeworth began, “it wasn’t an accident. I don’t know how, but he must have realized that I was catching on to him...”

“So he used the tournament to try and kill you.” Phoenix finished for him.

“I don’t see who else could have done it.” Edgeworth replied. “As a headmaster and tournament supervisor, he has all the necessary access needed to pull off a trap like the one from yesterday.”

“That’s…that’s _despicable_.” Phoenix spat out. He reached out for Edgeworth’s wrists. Edgeworth looked surprised at the physical contact, but didn’t pull away.

“We won’t let him get away with it.” Phoenix said with utter conviction. “I won’t _let him_ hurt you, Miles.”

“Phoenix…” Edgeworth said softly, looking from the point of physical contact between the two of them, back to Phoenix’s face. Then, very slowly, Edgeworth leaned forward until his forehead rested against Phoenix’s shoulder. Phoenix used the opportunity to bring his arms around Edgeworth in a tight hug, causing Edgeworth to sigh and rest his entire body weight against him.

“I don’t know what to do.” Edgeworth whispered into Phoenix’s robes.

“It’ll be okay.” Phoenix whispered back. “We’ll figure out. Together.”

Edgeworth was sniffling now, and Phoenix very carefully said nothing about the growing wetness on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes, neither of them wanting to break the moment.

But then Edgeworth pulled away, trying to discreetly wipe at his eyes.

“Have you told anyone what happened? Back in the cave?” Edgeworth asked.

“Only my friend Mia.” Phoenix replied. “I told her not to tell anyone—especially not any of the teachers. She and my other friends were able to find out a few things, like how the camera’s cutting off wasn’t a ‘technical error’ like everyone’s been saying.”

“I see.” Edgeworth nodded. “That’s good. I haven’t spoken to anyone either...not for their lack of trying.” He looked off to the side a moment before turning back to Phoenix. “We’ll need to corroborate a story for why it took so long for us to leave the cave after Celeste escaped.”

“Well, everyone already seems pretty convinced of what we were doing back there.” Phoenix muttered, growing irritated just thinking of the rumors spread by the ‘Daily Prophet’ article.

“What do you mean?” Edgeworth asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Phoenix abruptly wished he hadn’t said anything. He _really_ didn’t want to tell Edgeworth about the article.

But that was unfair, wasn’t it? He had a right to know. And it suddenly felt very juvenile, to keep this from Edgeworth after he had trusted Phoenix with so much.

Phoenix sighed, pulling one of the issues he had grabbed from the Hufflepuff Common Room and handing it to Edgeworth.

Edgeworth, still confused, looked over the newspaper. Then his eyes went wide.

Phoenix felt like he was dying when Edgeworth didn’t say anything, simply turning the pages to read the rest of the article in full. Edgeworth, whose face had been fairly pale throughout their entire conversation, suddenly developed a bright blush across his cheeks as he read the article.

“Ah...I see.” Edgeworth said, his gaze never wavering from the paper as he turned back to the front headline.

“It’s—it’s ridiculous, right?” Phoenix laughed nervously.

“Well, yes.” Edgeworth replied, the words causing Phoenix’s stomach to sink like a stone. “The idea that we would-would be doing something like _that_ during a tournament trial is...is ridiculous, as you said.” Edgeworth bit his lip, folding the newspaper and tucking it under his elbow. “But it might be useful as a pretense.”

“Wait, what?” Phoenix asked, unsure whether he had heard Edgeworth right.

“This story is better than anything else I could come up with.” Edgeworth shrugged, before adding: “And...well, I have some experience with news tabloids. Once people get set on a particular idea, it’s difficult to convince them of anything otherwise.”

“I mean, I guess that’s true…” Phoenix admitted, remembering earlier that day when no one had believed him when he had denied being romantically involved with Edgeworth.

“But, are you really okay with people thinking we’re...um, together?” Phoenix voice was embarrassingly high by the end of his question.

“People already think we are, by the looks of this article.” Edgeworth frowned, turning away slightly. “But no, I have no problem with it. Unless you’re uncomfortable with the idea?”

“No!” Phoenix responded, perhaps too loudly. “I mean, I’m cool with it. Cool as a cucumber.” Why did he say it that way? Merlin, this was embarrassing.

“Good. So that’s settled.” Edgeworth said.

“Yup. Totally.” Phoenix replied.

Neither of them were looking at each other. They sat there in complete silence for about a minute.

“We don’t have to explicitly say anything either way. We can just let people...assume.” Edgeworth said, sounding almost nervous. “We don’t have to, uh, _do_ anything to make people think we’re... _involved_...in that way.”

“Oh.” Phoenix said, before realizing that he sounded inappropriately disappointed. It wasn’t unnoticed, judging by the way Edgeworth had turned to look at him.

Edgeworth was staring at him intently in a way that was causing Phoenix to sweat a bit.

“Um, Edgeworth—”

Phoenix was interrupted by a sudden pain on the side his face. His hand automatically went to the spot under his left eye, which had just been poked by _something_. Phoenix blinked back tears and tried to figure out what had just happened. Had Edgeworth just attacked him...with his nose?

“I’m so sorry.” Edgeworth’s bandaged hands were covering his mouth, his expression one of pure mortification. “I’ve—I’ve never done that before. I didn’t mean to...to miss like that.”

“Did you,” Phoenix stuttered in disbelief, “did you just try to kiss me?”

Edgeworth’s face was as red as he had ever seen it. “I—I see I’ve miscalculated, which is fine, I’ll just, I’ll just be going now.” He stiffly stood up from the couch. Phoenix’s life was flashing before his eyes.

“Wait, don’t!” Phoenix called out, grabbing at Edgeworth’s elbow before he could get away. Edgeworth resisted as Phoenix tried to pull him back to the couch, still determined to leave the room in an embarrassed huff.

“I like you! A lot! Romantically!” Phoenix blurted out before Edgeworth could escape his grip. Edgeworth abruptly stopped struggling at his words. “Since we were kids, really.” Phoenix continued, seizing the opportunity. “So don’t...don’t leave, okay?”

Edgeworth sat back on the couch, his face still an impressive shade of red. “Do you really mean that?” He asked, glancing up at Phoenix with a shy look that almost killed him right on the spot.

“Of course I do.” Phoenix replied, sure that he had a blush on his face to rival Edgeworth’s own. “Can I, um, kiss you? If that’s alright?”

Edgeworth nodded rapidly.

Phoenix let go of the grip he still had on Edgeworth’s elbow, moving his hand to cup the side of Edgeworth’s face. He desperately hoped Edgeworth wouldn’t notice how sweaty his palms were.

Edgeworth shut his eyes tightly as Phoenix slowly moved in closer, some part of him still in complete disbelief about what was happening. Edgeworth had tried to kiss _him_ , he was going to _kiss_ Edgeworth and—and Edgeworth was letting him.

Phoenix kept his eyes open until the very moment their lips touched, his eyelids drooping as Edgeworth let out the breath he had been apparently holding. His lips were incredibly soft as Phoenix applied pressure to them, unmoving for a few seconds before Edgeworth finally started to react against him.

One of Edgeworth’s hands moved to cup the back of his neck, pulling Phoenix deeper into the kiss. The texture of the bandages on his bare neck was not entirely comfortable, but they served as a wonderful reminder that _this was actually happening_. Phoenix had never dared to allow himself to imagine what this would feel like, and was quickly finding that the whole experience was incredibly surreal. Surreal and fantastic.

Phoenix pulled away to breath for a moment, only to be quickly pulled back in by Edgeworth. He was pushed back onto the couch, the weight of Edgeworth on top of him causing them to sink into the cushions. Phoenix snaked his other arm around Edgeworth's waist, using the angle to crush them closer together.

They broke apart to breathe, the two of them staring at each other with flushed faces.

“I...I like you too, you know.” Edgeworth muttered, glancing off to the side.

Phoenix was grinning widely. “Yeah, I got that.”

Edgeworth huffed, slapping him lightly on the chest. “Don’t be insufferable.” He said, though there was a smile creeping at the corner of his mouth.

Phoenix reached out to touch a strand of hair that was hanging over the side of Edgeworth’s face. The strands were as soft as he could’ve imagined, with Edgeworth beginning to yawn as he continued to stroke his hair.

“Sorry, am I boring you?” Phoenix joked, earning a pointed glare. It didn’t hold much weight, considering how Edgeworth was clinging to him.

“I’m tired, is all.” Edgeworth replied. “I haven’t slept much since...since the trial.”

“Oh.” Phoenix said, frowning. “Should we...should you get going then?”

Edgeworth shook his head. “It’s silly but...I don’t want to go back to the Durmstrang ship. I don’t feel safe there.”

“It’s not silly.” Phoenix said, rubbing his thumb lightly on Edgeworth’s cheek in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. “We can stay here tonight, if you want?”

“I’d like that.” Edgeworth sighed, pressing his cheek into Phoenix’s hand.

“Then let’s do it.” Phoenix said. “I mean, this couch is pretty comfortable, and it’s super late anyways. We might as well just sleep here.” There was movement from underneath them, as the couch cushions began to magically stretch out, providing room for the two of them. “See? Even the room thinks we should stay.”

“Hmm…” Edgeworth hummed, moving so that he was now laying besides Phoenix rather than on top of him. “I do admit, it sounds very reasonable.”

Phoenix sat up, stretching out his legs as he picked up two pillows which had manifested on the floor nearby the couch. He picked them up and placed one behind him, the other under Edgeworth’s head.

“We’re all set.” Phoenix turned on his side, facing Edgeworth with a grin.

Edgeworth’s eyes were drooping, already on the way to a sound sleep. “Do you need to do anything? Before going to bed that is.” Edgeworth asked, motioning towards his chest.

“What, my binder?” Phoenix chuckled. “No, I took that off hours ago.”

“Good.” Edgeworth muttered, moving closer so that he was pressed almost completely to Phoenix’s side, his head resting just below Phoenix’s chin. He sighed contently as Phoenix wrapped his arms around him.

“‘Night Edgeworth.” Phoenix murmured into silver hair. The lights in the Room of Requirement began to dim as the two of them drifted off into a well-deserved sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Quick note that the rating for this fic isn't going to change. These characters are only 17 and, as a 25 year old, I _really_ don't feel comfortable writing explicit scenes with these two (in this particular fic, at least). That being said, I'm not above in-character sexual innuendo or jokes. Just wanted to give you all a heads up, in case you might've been expecting something I'm not planning on delivering on.
> 
> Also, I took some liberties regarding how werewolf bites/claw wounds work for narrative reasons which I'm sure are now obvious. *Shrugs* 
> 
> Anyways, next chapter is going to be from Edgeworth's POV! I originally wanted to keep this entirely in Phoenix's POV, but there's certain things which will be impossible to show if it's just from Phoenix's view. So! We'll get to see things from Edgeworth's eyes for a bit next chapter, which also means more Franziska!! Are you excited? I'm excited. 
> 
> Only three more chapters left...see you all next time~


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